It's been a good long while since I've done a meme, plus I told Mickelino I'd do it, and I wouldn't want to go back on my word. If you like the looks of it, please do it and let me know in the comments section so I can link you back!
1) Where were you when Armstrong first walked on the Moon?
My parents didn't even know each other yet. I was a wee sparkle in mah dear Daddy's eye.
2) Where were you when you heard Princess Di had died?
In bed; I had just woken up and the first thing I used to do was switch on the tv. The tv was still on CNN from the night before. I guess they had reported that she'd been in an accident before I went to sleep. I don't think I burst into tears, but I was definitely sad because I was only eight or nine years old when she was married and it really was like a fairy tale, so I was always a little sentimental about her.
3) Where were you on New Year’s Eve of 1999/2000?
Ugh. At my ex's house, where he lived with his mother. He wouldn't go out because his mother was terrified of the Y2K bug. I should have left him to celebrate with his mommy and gone downtown alone. But then, there's a lot of things I should have done where that ex is concerned. Next!
4) Where were you on Sept.11, 2001?
I could do a whole blog post about that day because I remember so many little details. I was at work in my little office when a guy from the bay (part of our business was installing sirens and radars into government vehicles) and said that a plane had flown into the WTC. I immediately pictured a dinky Cessna bouncing off a skyscraper; I scoffed and said, "Well, that was stupid." Of course it went downhill from there. My mother, a native New Yorker, was supposed to go to New York that Friday for a memorial for her uncle. At one point I told her I didn't think she'd be going, and she said, "Oh, they'll have it cleaned up by the end of the week." I think she meant it more as a testament to the fortitude of New Yorkers but maybe we didn't know the extent of the disaster yet. I didn't actually see any footage until I got home that evening - we had plenty of radios but no televisions and I couldn't get anything online to work. I cried every night for a week until I finally just stopped watching television.
5) Where were you when you first heard about the big 2004 Tsunami?
Our old apartment was really only two rooms, so our bedroom was also where we put the tv, the computers and where we usually ate. I remember seeing the footage on tv sitting in bed. Thailand is a very popular vacation destination for Europeans but happily we didn't know anyone that was there. I just had the feeling that this was another example of the world going to hell in a handbasket.
6) Where were you when you first heard that Madonna would go on tour last year?
I was just wondering where I could find a current example of the phrase "jumping the shark." Since I'm reading the Dark Tower series, I can just hear Susannah say, "Honey, the world has moved on."
Friday, January 26, 2007
Thursday, January 25, 2007
back to craftin'
Remember this old thing? I haven't work on this marquoir since the beginning of last summer, because it was just to hot to sit with all that fabric draped over me. I picked it up again a couple of months ago and picked at it here and there between making books as Christmas gifts. I finally just finished it up this section today, but I'm none too happy with it. A lot of the pieces aren't adding up and I can't find where the mistakes are, which will be bad, bad news when I get to the next section. I hope I don't have to call this a wash or start over now that I'm nearly half way through it. You can see the rest of the pieces here.
Meanwhile, I finally caved in and decided to learn how to knit. I resisted forever and then suddenly, out of the blue, I decided that it would be a nice change to have some kind of crafting hobby that was actually practical. I can't even explain it - out of nowhere I desperately wanted to know how to do it. I am under the tutelage of master knitter Flare and have bought my first skeins and needles (you can see them in my flickr feed by clicking on the photo) and I'm going to be studying this site to get me started. Wish me luck!
Meanwhile, I finally caved in and decided to learn how to knit. I resisted forever and then suddenly, out of the blue, I decided that it would be a nice change to have some kind of crafting hobby that was actually practical. I can't even explain it - out of nowhere I desperately wanted to know how to do it. I am under the tutelage of master knitter Flare and have bought my first skeins and needles (you can see them in my flickr feed by clicking on the photo) and I'm going to be studying this site to get me started. Wish me luck!
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
winter is back
Yep, winter is back in full force and it's snowing everywhere in France except here. Something about the Champagne Plain makes the snow want to divide and avoid us, like a pothole in the middle of a street. Though, to be fair, it did try to flurry a little yesterday, but nothing stuck. At least it feels more like winter, small comfort as it is.
Nothing much else to report really; Steph is home sick and is going to the doctor this afternoon. Everything else is waiting... waiting for one thing to happen so I can start this project or that project. I'm in a holding pattern. "Hurry up and wait" should be my motto.
Nothing much else to report really; Steph is home sick and is going to the doctor this afternoon. Everything else is waiting... waiting for one thing to happen so I can start this project or that project. I'm in a holding pattern. "Hurry up and wait" should be my motto.
Monday, January 22, 2007
the language lottery*
As I mentioned in my last post, something as simple as running errands can go a long way in making me feel more at home here. The truth is, interacting with those around me often does turn out to be something of a crap shoot. Days like Friday, where everything goes smoothly, are becoming more frequent, but there are still days where I'm left a trembling mess, because either I haven't understood a word or I just can't find the words to say what I want. Worse yet, I know what I want to say and the words just won't come out.
And then there are moments that pass into the bizarre. I ran another errand last week and the proprietor who usually helps me was busy with another customer, so her assistant came to help me out. Now, the proprietor knows I'm American, always teases me about my accent, and since I usually order the same thing she knows what I'm going to say before I say it.
The assistant didn't know what I was going to order, but she finally got it right after a series of hand gestures accompanying my bad pronunciation. As she was ringing me up, I smiled apologetically and muttered, "Oui, je sais... mon accent..."
She perked up and smiled and said, "Ah oui? Vous êtes belge?" Suddenly, it was everything I could do to not burst out laughing.
You see, I've never been mistaken for being Belgian before.
*I wish I came up with this phrase, which sums up my predicament perfectly, but it comes to us from the amazing Karla, who mentioned it in the comments of my last post. Hope you don't mind, K!
And then there are moments that pass into the bizarre. I ran another errand last week and the proprietor who usually helps me was busy with another customer, so her assistant came to help me out. Now, the proprietor knows I'm American, always teases me about my accent, and since I usually order the same thing she knows what I'm going to say before I say it.
The assistant didn't know what I was going to order, but she finally got it right after a series of hand gestures accompanying my bad pronunciation. As she was ringing me up, I smiled apologetically and muttered, "Oui, je sais... mon accent..."
She perked up and smiled and said, "Ah oui? Vous êtes belge?" Suddenly, it was everything I could do to not burst out laughing.
You see, I've never been mistaken for being Belgian before.
*I wish I came up with this phrase, which sums up my predicament perfectly, but it comes to us from the amazing Karla, who mentioned it in the comments of my last post. Hope you don't mind, K!
Friday, January 19, 2007
the butcher's shop
I'm trying a new recipe today - Italian sausage soup - and I couldn't find ground pork at the grocery store last night (to be more specific, the ground pork at the grocery store didn't look that fresh), so I decided to visit my friendly neighborhood boucherie this morning.
The wind was still a little strong in our lane and my hair stood on end as I made my way to the main street. At the corner, I passed the chevaline on by (I may be more adventurous in my cuisine now but I don't think I'll ever attempt a dish with horse meat) and walked two more blocks to the butcher's shop. Two older ladies were already waiting for the bouchère to make her appearance, who is herself an older woman. I don't think I've ever seen someone as young as me here in the butcher's shop. We all say "bonjour" to each other, as is customary when you enter a shop, whether you know the others or not.
The butcher arrives and another round of "bonjour mesdames" ring through the tiny shop. The first woman places her order - a bit of chopped meat here, a portion of pressed meat wrapped in pastry there, and a few slices of gorgeous ham already loaded on the automatic slicer that reminds me of the same contraption found at grocery stores back home. A round of "au revoir mesdames" are called out as she leaves.
The second orders up a few pork chops. The butcher, a small woman with short peppery hair and a green cardigan, produces an enormous knife and whacks at the side of pork until four perfectly identical pork chops are stacked up and wrapped in brown paper. "Au revoir mesdames," says the customer as she reaches for the door, almost under her breath without eye contact. Whether one means it or not, these formalities must be followed.
It's my turn, and I smile as I order my "trois cent grammes de chair au saucisse, s'il vous plait." She smiles back and scoops up the ground pork, which is lovely and dark pink, such a contrast to the great big tub of rather colorless pork I'd seen the night before. I asked myself again why I don't shop here more often. I wished her a good day and head out the door.
I love days like this, returning home with the meat wrapped in brown paper, a subsequently purchased baugette tucked under one arm, and thank my lucky stars again that I get to do this. It's just a small transaction, but every small transaction like this makes me feel more at home. It makes me feel light and happy for the rest of the day - and just from buying a little more than half a pound of pork at the butcher's shop.
The wind was still a little strong in our lane and my hair stood on end as I made my way to the main street. At the corner, I passed the chevaline on by (I may be more adventurous in my cuisine now but I don't think I'll ever attempt a dish with horse meat) and walked two more blocks to the butcher's shop. Two older ladies were already waiting for the bouchère to make her appearance, who is herself an older woman. I don't think I've ever seen someone as young as me here in the butcher's shop. We all say "bonjour" to each other, as is customary when you enter a shop, whether you know the others or not.
The butcher arrives and another round of "bonjour mesdames" ring through the tiny shop. The first woman places her order - a bit of chopped meat here, a portion of pressed meat wrapped in pastry there, and a few slices of gorgeous ham already loaded on the automatic slicer that reminds me of the same contraption found at grocery stores back home. A round of "au revoir mesdames" are called out as she leaves.
The second orders up a few pork chops. The butcher, a small woman with short peppery hair and a green cardigan, produces an enormous knife and whacks at the side of pork until four perfectly identical pork chops are stacked up and wrapped in brown paper. "Au revoir mesdames," says the customer as she reaches for the door, almost under her breath without eye contact. Whether one means it or not, these formalities must be followed.
It's my turn, and I smile as I order my "trois cent grammes de chair au saucisse, s'il vous plait." She smiles back and scoops up the ground pork, which is lovely and dark pink, such a contrast to the great big tub of rather colorless pork I'd seen the night before. I asked myself again why I don't shop here more often. I wished her a good day and head out the door.
I love days like this, returning home with the meat wrapped in brown paper, a subsequently purchased baugette tucked under one arm, and thank my lucky stars again that I get to do this. It's just a small transaction, but every small transaction like this makes me feel more at home. It makes me feel light and happy for the rest of the day - and just from buying a little more than half a pound of pork at the butcher's shop.
Thursday, January 18, 2007
howling
After several sleepless nights, I succumbed to a nap yesterday afternoon. I am not a nappy person, so I was consequently awake at midnight, staring at the ceiling and listening to Steph's snores compete with the wind howling down our lane, throwing raindrops against the skylights in uneven intervals. Eventually, Steph won, driving me to the office/guest room. I made my nest on the pull out couch, read a couple of chapters, listened to the wind roar as it rattled shutters and me, a little.
A tempest is making its way across France, again today. The sky is bullet gray, the wind is still screaming down the lane. I'm back in my personal fog but trying to push myself forward. My mind is on what could be a trip to the States sooner than I expected, to finish family business, to disperse my parents' belongings, gathered over thirty-five years of marriage and two lives cut short. This will most likely be my last trip home for a long, long time. Five trips in less than three years is straining our wallets and interrupts my life so much that it's no wonder I can't settle myself here - I've barely spent six months at a stretch in France.
But I'm not gone yet - I have to focus on here and now. I have too much to do to lose myself in daydreaming of what I'll do when I'm there. I need to be here. The wind howls again and brings me back. I've got to go - there's too much to do today.
A tempest is making its way across France, again today. The sky is bullet gray, the wind is still screaming down the lane. I'm back in my personal fog but trying to push myself forward. My mind is on what could be a trip to the States sooner than I expected, to finish family business, to disperse my parents' belongings, gathered over thirty-five years of marriage and two lives cut short. This will most likely be my last trip home for a long, long time. Five trips in less than three years is straining our wallets and interrupts my life so much that it's no wonder I can't settle myself here - I've barely spent six months at a stretch in France.
But I'm not gone yet - I have to focus on here and now. I have too much to do to lose myself in daydreaming of what I'll do when I'm there. I need to be here. The wind howls again and brings me back. I've got to go - there's too much to do today.
Monday, January 15, 2007
books, and the women who love them
If you've been reading this blog for any amount of time, you may have noticed that I have a certain passion for books. Actually, it's more to the point that I love reading, as I'll read just about anything. In a fit of desperation a couple of years ago, I even grabbed Steph's Petit Larousse (which is about as "petit" as an elephant) and started flipping through its illustrated pages. This is an obsession that started when I was still in Kindergarten, when Mom would take my sister and I on weekly trips to the library, where I could borrow as many books as I could carry and then read them so fast I was ready to go back in the middle of the week. It's not just the act of reading, but the ability to step into another world. Even during the worst times in my life, I had my escape, neatly bound between two covers and small enough to throw in my bag.
As I'm sure you can imagine, English books are hard to come by here in the Middle of Nowhere, France. There are two shops in Troyes that feature a small selection of English books, which are excellent if I've been too long without a book, but if I'm looking for something in particular it means going to the internet, and that can get a bit expensive. Lucky for me, my friend Doc suffers from the same obsession and from time to time we have the occasion to borrow from each other's personal libraries.
So it came to pass that on New Year's Day, I was allowed in Doc's hallowed library to choose a couple of books to borrow. Lo and behold, she deigned to lend me the motherlode - not only the Chronicles of Narnia but the Dark Tower series as well!
I hadn't read the Chronic(what?!)cles of Narnia* since I was probably ten years old, so revisiting them aftertwenty (gah!) so many years has been a revelation. I've fallen in love all over again and I'm going to have to buy my own copy so I can reread it again and again. I think I've even come across what may be my favorite opening sentence for a book ever:
Isn't it wonderful?
Anyway, I've just started the Dark Tower series. I have a vague recollection of starting this series way back when, but I sort of went off Stephen King quite a long time ago. However, everyone raves about this series so much that I'm willing to give him a second chance.
And then, wouldn't you know it, two days later the postman dropped a notice in our mailbox - the two boxes of books I'd shipped to myself from North Carolina had arrived. Next up after the Dark Tower: rereading the Outlander series before buying the latest in the series.
Looks like I'm going to be knee-deep in books, both borrowed and my own, equally treasured, for a long while. That's just how I like it.
*I'd planned to make a goofy reference/link to SNL's "Lazy Sunday" but the Powers That Be have yanked it from You Tube. *sigh* Well, I know you're hip so I know you got the joke. *wink*
As I'm sure you can imagine, English books are hard to come by here in the Middle of Nowhere, France. There are two shops in Troyes that feature a small selection of English books, which are excellent if I've been too long without a book, but if I'm looking for something in particular it means going to the internet, and that can get a bit expensive. Lucky for me, my friend Doc suffers from the same obsession and from time to time we have the occasion to borrow from each other's personal libraries.
So it came to pass that on New Year's Day, I was allowed in Doc's hallowed library to choose a couple of books to borrow. Lo and behold, she deigned to lend me the motherlode - not only the Chronicles of Narnia but the Dark Tower series as well!
I hadn't read the Chronic(what?!)cles of Narnia* since I was probably ten years old, so revisiting them after
"There once was a boy called Eustace Clarence Scrubb, and he almost deserved it."
The Voyage of the Dawn Treader, C.S. Lewis.
Isn't it wonderful?
Anyway, I've just started the Dark Tower series. I have a vague recollection of starting this series way back when, but I sort of went off Stephen King quite a long time ago. However, everyone raves about this series so much that I'm willing to give him a second chance.
And then, wouldn't you know it, two days later the postman dropped a notice in our mailbox - the two boxes of books I'd shipped to myself from North Carolina had arrived. Next up after the Dark Tower: rereading the Outlander series before buying the latest in the series.
Looks like I'm going to be knee-deep in books, both borrowed and my own, equally treasured, for a long while. That's just how I like it.
*I'd planned to make a goofy reference/link to SNL's "Lazy Sunday" but the Powers That Be have yanked it from You Tube. *sigh* Well, I know you're hip so I know you got the joke. *wink*
more addictive than crack
Like many folks, I dismissed Myspace as a teenage fantasy-land and barely gave it a second thought. Then, not too long ago, I was googling names of friends I knew long ago (like you do) and landed on a high school friend's Myspace page. Then I looked around and saw that I found a few others hanging out there.
Well, I did the only thing I could do - create my own page. And here it is. Today I've lost the whole morning to looking at friends' pages - this crap is more addictive than crack! I've got to tear myself away from the computer before I get sucked in again.
If you've been sucked in too, send me an add, but you may want to drop me a line as well, as I'm in the habit of turning down requests of people I don't know (I'm wacky like that).
Right, I've got to step away from the keyboard... slowly... slowly...
Well, I did the only thing I could do - create my own page. And here it is. Today I've lost the whole morning to looking at friends' pages - this crap is more addictive than crack! I've got to tear myself away from the computer before I get sucked in again.
If you've been sucked in too, send me an add, but you may want to drop me a line as well, as I'm in the habit of turning down requests of people I don't know (I'm wacky like that).
Right, I've got to step away from the keyboard... slowly... slowly...
Saturday, January 13, 2007
Americana in France
For the second year in a row, I received an American-themed gift for Christmas from my in-laws. Last year I got an apron with the stars and stripes on it, not in bright red, white and blue but in what I used to call "country colors," more maroon than red, for example. I thought it was hilarious and instead of using it, it hangs on a peg as decoration.
This year I got this pitcher and glass set with amusing retro American images. I absolutely love it - I've been longing for a pitcher and glass set and I've been wanting to get into the habit of having fresh beverages in the summer. I guess the need of having a fresh pitcher of lemonade or ice tea in the fridge is the Southerner in me making itself known! The fact that they have kitchy Americana images on them only make them that much more awesome.
Since we're sorely lacking in storage space, I decided the best thing to do is to display them until I get the urge to use them. This means I had to find the perfect platter to display them on (I may dislike clothes shopping for myself but everything else is fair game).
Believe it or not, it seems retro Americana is making a name for itself in France - one prominent supermarché has a collection of trays, bowls, plates and more featuring Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Rice Crispies. The Rice Crispies girl was so cute I just had to snap her up. (By the way, you can click on the picture to go see close ups of all the glasses and other recent photos I've added to my flickr feed!)
The best part of all this is that these are things I never would have bought for myself - I never felt like I had to surround myself with American things, since it's not things that make me homesick but people - but they really make me smile and I think it's nice that my in-laws try to give me a little piece of "home."
Either that or they're subtly hinting I should go back. Hm.
One final note - as I was checking out at the grocery, the cashier, who was about my age and actually smiled at me when I arrived at her empty lane, struck up a conversation with me. This may sound normal but this never happens. I'm way too shy (in France, anyway) to strike up a conversation usually, but as the cashier rang up the the Rice Crispies girl, she commented that there was a whole collection with these Kellogg's images, if I was interested. I told her that I'm American and I thought the whole collection was very cute and I was surprised to see them here. Then we made small talk until the transaction was finished. It was so nice to have a normal conversation that I nearly skipped out of the grocery store.
This year I got this pitcher and glass set with amusing retro American images. I absolutely love it - I've been longing for a pitcher and glass set and I've been wanting to get into the habit of having fresh beverages in the summer. I guess the need of having a fresh pitcher of lemonade or ice tea in the fridge is the Southerner in me making itself known! The fact that they have kitchy Americana images on them only make them that much more awesome.
Since we're sorely lacking in storage space, I decided the best thing to do is to display them until I get the urge to use them. This means I had to find the perfect platter to display them on (I may dislike clothes shopping for myself but everything else is fair game).
Believe it or not, it seems retro Americana is making a name for itself in France - one prominent supermarché has a collection of trays, bowls, plates and more featuring Kellogg's Corn Flakes and Rice Crispies. The Rice Crispies girl was so cute I just had to snap her up. (By the way, you can click on the picture to go see close ups of all the glasses and other recent photos I've added to my flickr feed!)
The best part of all this is that these are things I never would have bought for myself - I never felt like I had to surround myself with American things, since it's not things that make me homesick but people - but they really make me smile and I think it's nice that my in-laws try to give me a little piece of "home."
Either that or they're subtly hinting I should go back. Hm.
One final note - as I was checking out at the grocery, the cashier, who was about my age and actually smiled at me when I arrived at her empty lane, struck up a conversation with me. This may sound normal but this never happens. I'm way too shy (in France, anyway) to strike up a conversation usually, but as the cashier rang up the the Rice Crispies girl, she commented that there was a whole collection with these Kellogg's images, if I was interested. I told her that I'm American and I thought the whole collection was very cute and I was surprised to see them here. Then we made small talk until the transaction was finished. It was so nice to have a normal conversation that I nearly skipped out of the grocery store.
Friday, January 12, 2007
oh joy - it's the soldes
Yep, it's that time of year when all the stores in France have clearance sales that last a month and everyone goes freakin' nuts. This happens twice a year, once in January and again in August, and serves to make room for the next season's apparel.
Troyes is pretty well known in northern France for having a couple of outlet shopping centers and for good reason - they have some pretty well-known names doing business here and they offer their goods at well below retail cost.
It just so happens that I have been needing a new pair of jeans and I've put off the odious task of shopping for them for the last couple of months knowing that deep discount time was at hand. Since Les Soldes started Wednesday - a day when most kids are out of school and I'm sure chaos reigned supreme - I decided to take a chance on Thursday. Oh, but I should have known better. I arrived at the outlet center on my way into Troyes at 11:30, hoping folks would be getting a bit peckish by then, and all I found was a parking lot full of people who had all lost their minds. I actually saw two cars pointed at the same parking space and it looked like it was about to come to blows. I did one full turn of the parking lot and got the hell out of there. Happily, it will be much calmer in a couple of weeks, and while the best items will be gone, I'll be happy to pick over the remains at very deeply discounted prices.
Lucky for me, I had a backup plan, and drove around to the other side of town to a store that stocks fluffy-sized clothing. They also had racks after racks of clothes on sale, but after flicking through them and finding all the sizes in the wrong places, I gave up any hope of finding anything interesting and went on to the new collection, where after flicking through more disordered clothes, I finally found a couple pairs of jeans in my size. I quickly chose the most comfortable/least trendy (and I've got to commit to these jeans for a while) pair and ran outside while my sanity was still intact.
You may have noticed that I don't exactly find shopping to be a pleasurable pastime. This is partly my fault, as being a bit fluffier than I ought to be keeps me from wearing a lot of the clothes I'd like to wear. A lot of the problem is my short stature, and I haven't yet found anything like "petite" sizes here (which is awfully ironic if you ask me, but I digress), so clothes tend to hang on me like so many tents. While many stores offer a tailoring service, when you're as short as me they'd end up cutting away a whole other garment, so I can't see the point in it. Anyway, shopping in general is a pretty disheartening task but one must clothe oneself so I put myself through the paces from time to time.
The rest of the day went off alright. I even found a nice pair of shoes and they were half off to boot! Can you believe I hadn't bought shoes in a whole year? Considering Dad used to call me Imelda, that's showing quite a bit of restraint, if you ask me.
Troyes is pretty well known in northern France for having a couple of outlet shopping centers and for good reason - they have some pretty well-known names doing business here and they offer their goods at well below retail cost.
It just so happens that I have been needing a new pair of jeans and I've put off the odious task of shopping for them for the last couple of months knowing that deep discount time was at hand. Since Les Soldes started Wednesday - a day when most kids are out of school and I'm sure chaos reigned supreme - I decided to take a chance on Thursday. Oh, but I should have known better. I arrived at the outlet center on my way into Troyes at 11:30, hoping folks would be getting a bit peckish by then, and all I found was a parking lot full of people who had all lost their minds. I actually saw two cars pointed at the same parking space and it looked like it was about to come to blows. I did one full turn of the parking lot and got the hell out of there. Happily, it will be much calmer in a couple of weeks, and while the best items will be gone, I'll be happy to pick over the remains at very deeply discounted prices.
Lucky for me, I had a backup plan, and drove around to the other side of town to a store that stocks fluffy-sized clothing. They also had racks after racks of clothes on sale, but after flicking through them and finding all the sizes in the wrong places, I gave up any hope of finding anything interesting and went on to the new collection, where after flicking through more disordered clothes, I finally found a couple pairs of jeans in my size. I quickly chose the most comfortable/least trendy (and I've got to commit to these jeans for a while) pair and ran outside while my sanity was still intact.
You may have noticed that I don't exactly find shopping to be a pleasurable pastime. This is partly my fault, as being a bit fluffier than I ought to be keeps me from wearing a lot of the clothes I'd like to wear. A lot of the problem is my short stature, and I haven't yet found anything like "petite" sizes here (which is awfully ironic if you ask me, but I digress), so clothes tend to hang on me like so many tents. While many stores offer a tailoring service, when you're as short as me they'd end up cutting away a whole other garment, so I can't see the point in it. Anyway, shopping in general is a pretty disheartening task but one must clothe oneself so I put myself through the paces from time to time.
The rest of the day went off alright. I even found a nice pair of shoes and they were half off to boot! Can you believe I hadn't bought shoes in a whole year? Considering Dad used to call me Imelda, that's showing quite a bit of restraint, if you ask me.
Tuesday, January 09, 2007
state of the union
Don't worry, the state of marriage is fine, if that's what you were wondering. No, I'm referring to one of the requirements of the American president which has been in place since the Constitution was written - he must appear before Congress every January to deliver a speech on the state of the Union. I don't do resolutions at the beginning of the year - I'm sure I did once, but I never kept them - but there is something about turning the page to a new year that makes one reflect on the past year and look towards the new one. We rarely get "do overs" in this life, but we do sometimes get a fresh start, and for me January is one of those times to close one chapter and open a new one.
I've got to come clean with you. Everyone blogs for different reasons and goodness knows there are others who write more eloquently of living in a foreign country and as much as I like to think it is, this blog is not a real journal in the truest sense. It is heavily filtered and the censoring committee (i.e. me) is particularly strict. While this adventure I've been living for the past two years and some change has been phenomenal and I wouldn't change it, the truth is that this past year and most of the year before it have been an utter nightmare. I spent my entire life, excepting the four years I was at college, not more than an hour away from my parents and the minute I stepped one foot out of the country they proceeded to fall ill and die, one right after the other. I tell you without exaggeration that not one day has passed since my mother fell ill that I haven't thought about them. Some days it's just a fond memory of something one of them said or a joke we shared. Other days I am wracked with guilt that I wasn't there for either of them when they needed most. Most of the time I just wish I could hear their voices just one more time.
Writing about these things in detail would only serve to torture me and try your patience. Can you imagine if I did? Today Vivi's mourning: I can't remember a minuscule detail about our family history and I can't call Mom; she would know without hesitation or better yet Watching my father-in-law holding my baby niece in his arms and knowing my father will never do the same with his own grandchildren is more than I can bear. And yet these last two months since my father died have been like walking through a fog. I've lost all sense of direction and focus; I can hardly remember three tasks I set out to do in the morning.
The best way I can describe it is like riding on a boat at sea. Sometimes the seas get a little rough and it's all I can do to hang on and ride it out. Sometimes the sea is too calm and I'm as listless as a sailboat without wind. Sometimes the sun is shining I've got the wind at my back and it's full speed ahead. They say that time heals all wounds and I'm inclined to believe them. Little by little, I'm experiencing more sunny days, though the seas do get a bit choppy now and then.
Maybe you can see why I'm so anxious to turn the page and start a new chapter. My heart is still broken but it's time to look ahead. I can't help but feel like good things are coming. I don't know what they are yet, but I'm on the watch for them. It could be a new address, or maybe I'll stop looking for work and start making my own, or, "God willin' and the creek don't rise," a new addition to our family. I'm open to it all. Here, at the beginning of a chapter, at the top of a fresh page, all things seem possible.
I've got to come clean with you. Everyone blogs for different reasons and goodness knows there are others who write more eloquently of living in a foreign country and as much as I like to think it is, this blog is not a real journal in the truest sense. It is heavily filtered and the censoring committee (i.e. me) is particularly strict. While this adventure I've been living for the past two years and some change has been phenomenal and I wouldn't change it, the truth is that this past year and most of the year before it have been an utter nightmare. I spent my entire life, excepting the four years I was at college, not more than an hour away from my parents and the minute I stepped one foot out of the country they proceeded to fall ill and die, one right after the other. I tell you without exaggeration that not one day has passed since my mother fell ill that I haven't thought about them. Some days it's just a fond memory of something one of them said or a joke we shared. Other days I am wracked with guilt that I wasn't there for either of them when they needed most. Most of the time I just wish I could hear their voices just one more time.
Writing about these things in detail would only serve to torture me and try your patience. Can you imagine if I did? Today Vivi's mourning: I can't remember a minuscule detail about our family history and I can't call Mom; she would know without hesitation or better yet Watching my father-in-law holding my baby niece in his arms and knowing my father will never do the same with his own grandchildren is more than I can bear. And yet these last two months since my father died have been like walking through a fog. I've lost all sense of direction and focus; I can hardly remember three tasks I set out to do in the morning.
The best way I can describe it is like riding on a boat at sea. Sometimes the seas get a little rough and it's all I can do to hang on and ride it out. Sometimes the sea is too calm and I'm as listless as a sailboat without wind. Sometimes the sun is shining I've got the wind at my back and it's full speed ahead. They say that time heals all wounds and I'm inclined to believe them. Little by little, I'm experiencing more sunny days, though the seas do get a bit choppy now and then.
Maybe you can see why I'm so anxious to turn the page and start a new chapter. My heart is still broken but it's time to look ahead. I can't help but feel like good things are coming. I don't know what they are yet, but I'm on the watch for them. It could be a new address, or maybe I'll stop looking for work and start making my own, or, "God willin' and the creek don't rise," a new addition to our family. I'm open to it all. Here, at the beginning of a chapter, at the top of a fresh page, all things seem possible.
Monday, January 08, 2007
back to our regularly scheduled program
Here it is, Monday morning. Up since 8:30, Steph's back at work, the bathroom is clean, clothes are in the washer and I've got a few minutes before I have to make a boulangerie run and start lunch. Oh, it was hard, friends, to move our lazy bodies this morning.
Meanwhile, quite a lot of things happened last week. First off, I forgot to mention that I left Doc's house with more than your usual holiday gifts of boxes of chocolate. She's found cheddar (yes! real cheddar!) at a local shop and graciously gave me a small block to bring home, which became taco topping the very next day. She also gave me a pack of Rolos which were one of my favorite candies when I was a kid. Those were gobbled up pretty quick, too. Thanks again, Doc!
Friday we went to Troyes to pick up my third carte de sejour, or residence card. We're pretty lucky that, living in a relatively small town (compared to many of my transplant friends in Paris or other big cities), our wait at the Préfecture is pretty short, usually about fifteen minutes. However, it seems like every year there's something new to drive you just a little bit crazy. This year, it was the tax stamp, or the fee for processing the card. In years past, we simply walked across the hall to pick up our stamp, but this year we learned the Préfecture doesn't offer this service anymore. So off we went to the Centre des Impôts, or the Tax Office, to pick up the sacred stamp. We parked the car, flew across the street and glided in the door fifteen minutes before they would be locked for lunch. The good news is that the Tax Office is pretty quiet when taxes aren't due (much like the lead up to April 15 in the States) and we were in and out pretty quick. After lunch with the in-laws, we went back to the Préfecture to finish the business. Something else that's changed is that this year, I got a real card! Not a sticker in my passport, but a real card! Hurray! This will hold me until September, when we will be able to apply for a ten-year card, thus leaving this messy business behind for a little while.
Otherwise, it was a quiet Christmas vacation. I finished up my research and writing on the guide for Troyes and it's resting in other hands now. I can't say my French grew leaps and bounds working on it, but it's funny that this came into my life when I'm experiencing a growth spurt in French, so it gave me an opportunity to test out my new found confidence. Don't worry, I should be plateau-ing any minute now! More importantly, it gave me something to focus on, which is something that has been frustratingly difficult for me these last couple of months. But more about that in my next post - for now it's enough to say the guide is done and I'm looking forward to my next project.
Well, my time is up, I've got to get on with the rest of my day. Actually, while I'm here - someone mentioned in my comments that my RSS feed isn't working (thanks Amy!). Is this because I haven't gone to Blogger beta? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Meanwhile, quite a lot of things happened last week. First off, I forgot to mention that I left Doc's house with more than your usual holiday gifts of boxes of chocolate. She's found cheddar (yes! real cheddar!) at a local shop and graciously gave me a small block to bring home, which became taco topping the very next day. She also gave me a pack of Rolos which were one of my favorite candies when I was a kid. Those were gobbled up pretty quick, too. Thanks again, Doc!
Friday we went to Troyes to pick up my third carte de sejour, or residence card. We're pretty lucky that, living in a relatively small town (compared to many of my transplant friends in Paris or other big cities), our wait at the Préfecture is pretty short, usually about fifteen minutes. However, it seems like every year there's something new to drive you just a little bit crazy. This year, it was the tax stamp, or the fee for processing the card. In years past, we simply walked across the hall to pick up our stamp, but this year we learned the Préfecture doesn't offer this service anymore. So off we went to the Centre des Impôts, or the Tax Office, to pick up the sacred stamp. We parked the car, flew across the street and glided in the door fifteen minutes before they would be locked for lunch. The good news is that the Tax Office is pretty quiet when taxes aren't due (much like the lead up to April 15 in the States) and we were in and out pretty quick. After lunch with the in-laws, we went back to the Préfecture to finish the business. Something else that's changed is that this year, I got a real card! Not a sticker in my passport, but a real card! Hurray! This will hold me until September, when we will be able to apply for a ten-year card, thus leaving this messy business behind for a little while.
Otherwise, it was a quiet Christmas vacation. I finished up my research and writing on the guide for Troyes and it's resting in other hands now. I can't say my French grew leaps and bounds working on it, but it's funny that this came into my life when I'm experiencing a growth spurt in French, so it gave me an opportunity to test out my new found confidence. Don't worry, I should be plateau-ing any minute now! More importantly, it gave me something to focus on, which is something that has been frustratingly difficult for me these last couple of months. But more about that in my next post - for now it's enough to say the guide is done and I'm looking forward to my next project.
Well, my time is up, I've got to get on with the rest of my day. Actually, while I'm here - someone mentioned in my comments that my RSS feed isn't working (thanks Amy!). Is this because I haven't gone to Blogger beta? Any help will be greatly appreciated.
Saturday, January 06, 2007
normal blogging will resume shortly
There are so many things I've been meaning to blog about, including our yearly visit to the Prefecture and other happenings from this week, but I'm in the last throes of finishing up the guide I've been working on and trying to get some quality time in with the hubby, and the blog has sadly fallen by the wayside. Come Monday, Steph will head back to work and I'll be trying to reestablish some normalcy around here. Thanks for your patience and for continuing to stop by. I've got some fun plans for this blog that I'm hoping to bring to fruition in the coming months (doesn't that sound exciting!) and I'd love to have y'all along.
Have a great weekend and let's meet back here on Monday, mkay?
Have a great weekend and let's meet back here on Monday, mkay?
Tuesday, January 02, 2007
happy new year!
We rang in the New Year in a rather quiet fashion, between the cheese course and dessert chez Doc and Marc. The four of us enjoyed, as always, the fruits of Doc's labor in the kitchen (she declared that while I am artsy-fartsy, she is cuisiney-weeny) while their two little ones were tucked into bed. We all joked that we were going to have to set the alarm for midnight so we could properly celebrate, but it wasn't long after that we all hit the hay and Steph and I nearly slept in far too late to be considered polite.
The next day was leisurely and simple, chatting with Marc's parents and playing with the kids. One of my favorite moments was this conversation, between Doc and her two-year old, whom she calls Muppet, as lunch was winding down:
Doc: Would you like some fruit?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like a clementine?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like some banana?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like a car?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like a million euros?
Muppet: ... yes.
Smart kid. Anyway, we had a great time, thanks Doc and Marc for your hospitality, as always, and we hope to return the favor soon!
Thank you, all of you who take a glance at my little outpost on the internet from time to time. I hope you all rang in the New Year in the way that gave you the most pleasure, and here's to the feeling of a fresh new start and the courage to embrace everything that comes our way this year!
The next day was leisurely and simple, chatting with Marc's parents and playing with the kids. One of my favorite moments was this conversation, between Doc and her two-year old, whom she calls Muppet, as lunch was winding down:
Doc: Would you like some fruit?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like a clementine?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like some banana?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like a car?
Muppet: No.
Doc: Would you like a million euros?
Muppet: ... yes.
Smart kid. Anyway, we had a great time, thanks Doc and Marc for your hospitality, as always, and we hope to return the favor soon!
Thank you, all of you who take a glance at my little outpost on the internet from time to time. I hope you all rang in the New Year in the way that gave you the most pleasure, and here's to the feeling of a fresh new start and the courage to embrace everything that comes our way this year!
Saturday, December 30, 2006
oh, hullo
Man, I am the definition of laziness these days. Sleeping late, goofing around on the computer, eating meals at odd times, barely leaving the house; it's terrible. I have renewed my interest in playing DAoC but we justify it by saying it's for improving my French (because we only play on French servers). The worst thing is that I slept through the postman knocking on the door to deliver not one, not two, but three (ah ah ah! Three!) boxes that can't be stuffed into our mailbox and now I have to wait until Tuesday to retrieve them. Tragedy! Actually, the even worse thing is that Steph actually heard the knock and couldn't be bothered to get out of bed. Humph!
Our date night was hit and miss, in traditional Vivi and Steph fashion. The movie we wanted to see wasn't playing Wednesday, contrary to reports on the cinema's website. The only movies available were kiddie flicks, and while I'm not opposed to seeing kids' movies at the theater without kids, I had my heart set on Casino Royale so animation just wasn't going to cut it. So we had three hours to kill before our dinner reservation, so we went shopping. Again. It's not that I don't like shopping but shopping during the holidays is so draining, I don't even want to go near a shopping center for at least another two weeks. Anyway, it turned out alright because we found some books we'd been looking for and I also found one of my all time favorite movies on DVD for only ten euros. Merry Christmas to me!
The good news is that dinner was extraordinary. It cost a pretty penny, but everything was divine. This restaurant only seats twenty (plus more on the terrace in the courtyard when the weather is nice), is run by an international maitre d' - he not only chatted in English with us and an English couple at another table, but also spoke Italian with an Italian family across the room! - and features an impressively large menu for such a small, cozy place. My foie gras was unbelieveable and was served with a delicious quince marmalade, my steak stuffed with garlic butter and herbs was the best and most tender steak I've eaten in France, and my dessert was superb - carmelized pears served on spiced honey bread with a small scoop of licorice ice cream on the side. Steph started with a salad featuring Chaorce cheese, then had veal so tender he could cut it with his fork, and ended with "crunchy" bananas wrapped in crepes (it sounds so much more elegant in French! Ha!). Like I said, this place is a little heavy on the wallet, it's the sort of place we could treat ourselves to once a year, but it really was amazing and the best part was spending time together in this lovely setting.
It looks like today is going to be more of the same lazy goodness, but we do have some interesting stuff coming up. We're going to Doc's house to celebrate New Year's Eve, and then Tuesday I'll get my mystery boxes, plus next week we'll have to visit the Prefecture once again for yet another one year resident card, and who knows, maybe we'll get to see Casino Royale after all!
Our date night was hit and miss, in traditional Vivi and Steph fashion. The movie we wanted to see wasn't playing Wednesday, contrary to reports on the cinema's website. The only movies available were kiddie flicks, and while I'm not opposed to seeing kids' movies at the theater without kids, I had my heart set on Casino Royale so animation just wasn't going to cut it. So we had three hours to kill before our dinner reservation, so we went shopping. Again. It's not that I don't like shopping but shopping during the holidays is so draining, I don't even want to go near a shopping center for at least another two weeks. Anyway, it turned out alright because we found some books we'd been looking for and I also found one of my all time favorite movies on DVD for only ten euros. Merry Christmas to me!
The good news is that dinner was extraordinary. It cost a pretty penny, but everything was divine. This restaurant only seats twenty (plus more on the terrace in the courtyard when the weather is nice), is run by an international maitre d' - he not only chatted in English with us and an English couple at another table, but also spoke Italian with an Italian family across the room! - and features an impressively large menu for such a small, cozy place. My foie gras was unbelieveable and was served with a delicious quince marmalade, my steak stuffed with garlic butter and herbs was the best and most tender steak I've eaten in France, and my dessert was superb - carmelized pears served on spiced honey bread with a small scoop of licorice ice cream on the side. Steph started with a salad featuring Chaorce cheese, then had veal so tender he could cut it with his fork, and ended with "crunchy" bananas wrapped in crepes (it sounds so much more elegant in French! Ha!). Like I said, this place is a little heavy on the wallet, it's the sort of place we could treat ourselves to once a year, but it really was amazing and the best part was spending time together in this lovely setting.
It looks like today is going to be more of the same lazy goodness, but we do have some interesting stuff coming up. We're going to Doc's house to celebrate New Year's Eve, and then Tuesday I'll get my mystery boxes, plus next week we'll have to visit the Prefecture once again for yet another one year resident card, and who knows, maybe we'll get to see Casino Royale after all!
Tuesday, December 26, 2006
Christmas recap
Christmas Eve was hit or miss, but a good time was had by all. We arrived at the home of Steph's brother and sister-in-law a good two hours in advance, and he and his brother cracked open all eight dozen oysters in about forty-five minutes. After everyone finally arrived and we toasted the newest member of the family, Steph and I slipped into the kitchen. Chaos reigned as we set our oyster assembly line in motion (or usine des huitres as my brother-in-law called it). It was slow going, but every one eventually was served their own plate of fried oysters and we finally got to sit down again nearly an hour later. They were definitely a hit, and one niece even asked if we would make them again next year. Steph and I looked at each other and replied, "Um... no." It was fun to do something different for a change but I don't think we'll be making this a tradition!
The rest of the dinner went on without a hitch, and the gift distribution was fun as always. The books I made were really well received which was a major relief. We got some interesting gifts; my favorite was a necklace kit that I'll put together myself (fun!). Another couple who always puts a lot of thought into their gifts gave us a really cute glass and pitcher set with "American" slogans on them. I think they're really fun and it will be great for making lemonade in the summer (I found a really interesting recipe of lemonade with rose petals that I'm really looking forward to trying!). The bad part was that when my mother-in-law called Steph for ideas for me, he told her that I didn't have a bathrobe. Actually, I do; I rarely use it, but I do have one. What's worse is that she bought it for me two Christmases ago! So, last night I got a new one. At least Steph gave a few minutes warning so I wouldn't stick my feet in my mouth! We also got a waffle maker, which we also already have. They asked us if there's anything else we need for the kitchen, and right then I couldn't think of a thing. Of course, after a few glasses of wine that's not a big surprise.
Yesterday was very quiet and relaxing here at home. We already bought ourselves a Christmas gift of a new entertainment center (photos are forthcoming as soon as I clean downstairs, heh) but I couldn't resist getting Steph the first season of Kaamelott which is a hilarious show set in King Arthur's court. Each episode is only about ten minutes long (there are quite a lot of comedies like this on television, which appear between the news and the main show of the evening) so it's been fun to watch five or six and then go on and do something else.
Tomorrow, Steph is taking me out on a real date! That's right, we're going to see a movie and go to a fancy restaurant. Can you believe it?
The rest of the dinner went on without a hitch, and the gift distribution was fun as always. The books I made were really well received which was a major relief. We got some interesting gifts; my favorite was a necklace kit that I'll put together myself (fun!). Another couple who always puts a lot of thought into their gifts gave us a really cute glass and pitcher set with "American" slogans on them. I think they're really fun and it will be great for making lemonade in the summer (I found a really interesting recipe of lemonade with rose petals that I'm really looking forward to trying!). The bad part was that when my mother-in-law called Steph for ideas for me, he told her that I didn't have a bathrobe. Actually, I do; I rarely use it, but I do have one. What's worse is that she bought it for me two Christmases ago! So, last night I got a new one. At least Steph gave a few minutes warning so I wouldn't stick my feet in my mouth! We also got a waffle maker, which we also already have. They asked us if there's anything else we need for the kitchen, and right then I couldn't think of a thing. Of course, after a few glasses of wine that's not a big surprise.
Yesterday was very quiet and relaxing here at home. We already bought ourselves a Christmas gift of a new entertainment center (photos are forthcoming as soon as I clean downstairs, heh) but I couldn't resist getting Steph the first season of Kaamelott which is a hilarious show set in King Arthur's court. Each episode is only about ten minutes long (there are quite a lot of comedies like this on television, which appear between the news and the main show of the evening) so it's been fun to watch five or six and then go on and do something else.
Tomorrow, Steph is taking me out on a real date! That's right, we're going to see a movie and go to a fancy restaurant. Can you believe it?
Monday, December 25, 2006
merry merry!
First, I have this Very Important Message.
Second, I have this Also Important Message: Steph and I wish you a very Merry Merry! Everything went fine last night, but today I'm going to relax, so look out for an update tomorrow. Have fun!
Second, I have this Also Important Message: Steph and I wish you a very Merry Merry! Everything went fine last night, but today I'm going to relax, so look out for an update tomorrow. Have fun!
Sunday, December 24, 2006
in which vivi feverishly rambles about the weekend before christmas
I can't believe it but I think we've got everything under control for Christmas this year, and I'm not stressing out at all. This may be, of course, because I'm still feeling under the weather. The worst of the head cold is gone but now I've got something of a wet cough, which is always very attractive.
Yesterday we found all the oysters we need at our local grocery store, which was a relief as the alternative was driving all the way to Troyes to fight the madness of last minute shopping at one of the large grande surface shopping malls. Our local crowd was crazy enough. I should have known that we wouldn't have a problem finding oysters here, as they are a traditional appetizer for Christmas Eve in France, although they are traditionally served on the half shell instead of fried up in the southern style we're going to attempt tonight. The oysters came conveniently packed in baskets of 48, so two baskets are currently chilling out in the fridge. I'm trying to put myself in the mindset that we're going to attempt a wacky experiment that hopefully will go over well and not to take it personally if they're not well received. I can always blame Steph for that. (heh)
For lunch yesterday, we decided to try one of the two brasseries here in our town. The brasserie we chose offered a surprisingly wide array of choices, but I guess because I'm still a bit sick absolutely nothing sounding good to me (believe me, I never have a problem finding something good on a menu!). Steph opted for the menu of the day, which started with a salad with duck gizzards followed by kangaroo steak. I wasn't feeling very adventurous so I went with a large salad with escargots. Meanwhile, there was some kind of mixup with the waitress who came in late and the very gregarious owner/chef/head honcho that took our order. Steph's main dish was delivered to the table behind us, so both Steph and the other person at the table behind us were stuck waiting for their meals. I plugged away at my salad as best I could - it was alright but I really wasn't very hungry - and we waited for a good forty-five minutes for Steph's order to come out. Meanwhile, the man behind us read the waitress the riot act - how they didn't have time for this nonsense and he'd never seen such terrible service. Then there was some kind of confrontation about their paying with vacation vouchers (kind of like travelers cheques for restaurants and hotels) which damn near came to blows. At least we had dinner and a show! Well, they did give us free coffee at the end, so that was nice.
I spent the greater part of Friday and yesterday afternoon wrapping presents. The only reason it took so long is that I made my own bows for the presents which involved staples and glue as well as some well-placed clothespins to keep them all together. Since I only have so many clothespins and the bows needed to set overnight, I could only do about half at a time. The worst part is that I purposefully left the books until last so I could photograph them. There are a couple that I am especially proud of. I even charged the batteries Friday afternoon so I'd be ready. Wouldn't you know that it wasn't until I was halfway through wrapping them that I realized I'd forgotten to photograph them? Ugh, I'm so annoyed with myself, but that's the sort of scatter-brained dingbat I am these days. I still have two books to wrap for nieces we won't see until the New Year, so I'll get photos of those next week before I wrap them. I hope. I'm going to bring my camera tonight, but heaven knows if I'll remember to actually take it out of my purse.
To all of you who start your Christmas celebrations today, I hope you all have a wonderful time surrounded by friends and family (for me, that's the reason for the season!) and the same goes to those who will gather tomorrow. Tomorrow I hope to update on our Christmas Eve celebration, but if I don't make it, may you have a beautiful Christmas filled with love and laughter!
Yesterday we found all the oysters we need at our local grocery store, which was a relief as the alternative was driving all the way to Troyes to fight the madness of last minute shopping at one of the large grande surface shopping malls. Our local crowd was crazy enough. I should have known that we wouldn't have a problem finding oysters here, as they are a traditional appetizer for Christmas Eve in France, although they are traditionally served on the half shell instead of fried up in the southern style we're going to attempt tonight. The oysters came conveniently packed in baskets of 48, so two baskets are currently chilling out in the fridge. I'm trying to put myself in the mindset that we're going to attempt a wacky experiment that hopefully will go over well and not to take it personally if they're not well received. I can always blame Steph for that. (heh)
For lunch yesterday, we decided to try one of the two brasseries here in our town. The brasserie we chose offered a surprisingly wide array of choices, but I guess because I'm still a bit sick absolutely nothing sounding good to me (believe me, I never have a problem finding something good on a menu!). Steph opted for the menu of the day, which started with a salad with duck gizzards followed by kangaroo steak. I wasn't feeling very adventurous so I went with a large salad with escargots. Meanwhile, there was some kind of mixup with the waitress who came in late and the very gregarious owner/chef/head honcho that took our order. Steph's main dish was delivered to the table behind us, so both Steph and the other person at the table behind us were stuck waiting for their meals. I plugged away at my salad as best I could - it was alright but I really wasn't very hungry - and we waited for a good forty-five minutes for Steph's order to come out. Meanwhile, the man behind us read the waitress the riot act - how they didn't have time for this nonsense and he'd never seen such terrible service. Then there was some kind of confrontation about their paying with vacation vouchers (kind of like travelers cheques for restaurants and hotels) which damn near came to blows. At least we had dinner and a show! Well, they did give us free coffee at the end, so that was nice.
I spent the greater part of Friday and yesterday afternoon wrapping presents. The only reason it took so long is that I made my own bows for the presents which involved staples and glue as well as some well-placed clothespins to keep them all together. Since I only have so many clothespins and the bows needed to set overnight, I could only do about half at a time. The worst part is that I purposefully left the books until last so I could photograph them. There are a couple that I am especially proud of. I even charged the batteries Friday afternoon so I'd be ready. Wouldn't you know that it wasn't until I was halfway through wrapping them that I realized I'd forgotten to photograph them? Ugh, I'm so annoyed with myself, but that's the sort of scatter-brained dingbat I am these days. I still have two books to wrap for nieces we won't see until the New Year, so I'll get photos of those next week before I wrap them. I hope. I'm going to bring my camera tonight, but heaven knows if I'll remember to actually take it out of my purse.
To all of you who start your Christmas celebrations today, I hope you all have a wonderful time surrounded by friends and family (for me, that's the reason for the season!) and the same goes to those who will gather tomorrow. Tomorrow I hope to update on our Christmas Eve celebration, but if I don't make it, may you have a beautiful Christmas filled with love and laughter!
Friday, December 22, 2006
this is the cold that never ends
...it just goes on and on my friend... (everybody sing!)
'Cause I can't. It appears I've lost my voice.
Well, Wednesday was a wash, filled with sleeping and moaning. Yesterday I managed a quick run to the grocery for necessities and work for a couple of hours on the computer. Today staring at the computer is making me cross-eyed, so I think I need to step away from it for a while. This is just as well, as there are still books to be made and presents to wrap. I think I've got one more good dose of NyQuil left and then I'm just going to have to ride it out. I'll pass on a trip to the pharmacy, thanks - the only thing they ever give for a head cold is saline nasal spray, and I think I can manage without it (ew).
Well, as Lesley said in the comments on my last post, thank goodness it's not the gastro. It certainly could be worse.
Everyone has their own traditions for celebrating Christmas, and my extended family is no different. We gather as many family members as possible under one roof on Christmas Eve and eat copious amounts of food and then open gifts. It makes for a long night, but it's fun. Everyone brings something to contribute to the dinner, and Steph volunteered us for....
Wait - a little background is necessary, I think.
Back in October when we were in North Carolina, we had dinner in one of those fry-up seafood places you can only find miles and miles away from the ocean. Steph ordered some kind of fried seafood platter and I stuck to crab cakes (they are kind of hard to mess up). Steph was decidedly nonplussed about most of the fried critters on his plate except for the fried oysters. He was so impressed he gave me one, and I agreed that it was pretty tasty. "Do you think you could make that?" he asked. Well, I figured that with a little cornmeal and a frying pan it wouldn't be that hard to replicate.
Fast forward a month or two...
We're visiting the in-laws and my dear mother-in-law asks us what we'd like to make for an appetizer for Christmas dinner. "We're going to make fried oysters!" Uh, we are? I hadn't even tried to recipe yet, and he's volunteering us to make enough for sixteen people?
On another visit with family, the menu was being discussed, and when the oysters came up, Steph wisely noted that a dozen fried oysters each would be too much, so my brother-in-law suggested half a dozen each.
So long story longer, Steph has volunteered us to fry up EIGHT DOZEN OYSTERS on Christmas Eve. I haven't even perfected the recipe yet (last time we tried it, it was way too salty). Of course this means we'll have to take over the sister-in-law's kitchen just before eating, because you know we have to fry them up just before consumption - ain't nothing worse than old fried food. Beaurk indeed.
So that's what we have to look forward to this weekend. What are your family traditions for the holidays?
'Cause I can't. It appears I've lost my voice.
Well, Wednesday was a wash, filled with sleeping and moaning. Yesterday I managed a quick run to the grocery for necessities and work for a couple of hours on the computer. Today staring at the computer is making me cross-eyed, so I think I need to step away from it for a while. This is just as well, as there are still books to be made and presents to wrap. I think I've got one more good dose of NyQuil left and then I'm just going to have to ride it out. I'll pass on a trip to the pharmacy, thanks - the only thing they ever give for a head cold is saline nasal spray, and I think I can manage without it (ew).
Well, as Lesley said in the comments on my last post, thank goodness it's not the gastro. It certainly could be worse.
Everyone has their own traditions for celebrating Christmas, and my extended family is no different. We gather as many family members as possible under one roof on Christmas Eve and eat copious amounts of food and then open gifts. It makes for a long night, but it's fun. Everyone brings something to contribute to the dinner, and Steph volunteered us for....
Wait - a little background is necessary, I think.
Back in October when we were in North Carolina, we had dinner in one of those fry-up seafood places you can only find miles and miles away from the ocean. Steph ordered some kind of fried seafood platter and I stuck to crab cakes (they are kind of hard to mess up). Steph was decidedly nonplussed about most of the fried critters on his plate except for the fried oysters. He was so impressed he gave me one, and I agreed that it was pretty tasty. "Do you think you could make that?" he asked. Well, I figured that with a little cornmeal and a frying pan it wouldn't be that hard to replicate.
Fast forward a month or two...
We're visiting the in-laws and my dear mother-in-law asks us what we'd like to make for an appetizer for Christmas dinner. "We're going to make fried oysters!" Uh, we are? I hadn't even tried to recipe yet, and he's volunteering us to make enough for sixteen people?
On another visit with family, the menu was being discussed, and when the oysters came up, Steph wisely noted that a dozen fried oysters each would be too much, so my brother-in-law suggested half a dozen each.
So long story longer, Steph has volunteered us to fry up EIGHT DOZEN OYSTERS on Christmas Eve. I haven't even perfected the recipe yet (last time we tried it, it was way too salty). Of course this means we'll have to take over the sister-in-law's kitchen just before eating, because you know we have to fry them up just before consumption - ain't nothing worse than old fried food. Beaurk indeed.
So that's what we have to look forward to this weekend. What are your family traditions for the holidays?
Tuesday, December 19, 2006
a new record
Yesterday we finished our Christmas shopping - a whole seven days before Christmas Eve, which is a new record! Steph has been under the weather for a few days, and there were a couple of times that he wanted to give up and go home. Maybe I pushed him a little to keep going, but now everything's finished but the wrapping. What a relief!
To thank me, Steph promptly gave me his cold, which has since mutated and I feel like I've been run over. Talk about worst possible timing. Today I pressed on and bound another book and prepped two more, which I'll probably bind on Thursday. Tomorrow I'm hoping to play around with my new idea for Christmas gift tags. I can't ever find gift tags here so in the past I've just written names on the presents, but I don't really like the look of it. I'll let you know how they come out.
OK, I've just sat here and stared at the wall for a good five minutes, so I guess that's my cue to wrap this up. I think it's time to go dig the big "N" little "y" big farkin' "Q" out of the medicine cabinet for the sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever so I can rest medicine. Amazing how those ads stick in your head, isn't it?
To thank me, Steph promptly gave me his cold, which has since mutated and I feel like I've been run over. Talk about worst possible timing. Today I pressed on and bound another book and prepped two more, which I'll probably bind on Thursday. Tomorrow I'm hoping to play around with my new idea for Christmas gift tags. I can't ever find gift tags here so in the past I've just written names on the presents, but I don't really like the look of it. I'll let you know how they come out.
OK, I've just sat here and stared at the wall for a good five minutes, so I guess that's my cue to wrap this up. I think it's time to go dig the big "N" little "y" big farkin' "Q" out of the medicine cabinet for the sniffling, sneezing, coughing, aching, stuffy head, fever so I can rest medicine. Amazing how those ads stick in your head, isn't it?
Monday, December 18, 2006
in which vivi passes a pleasant evening conversing in french
Well, the title pretty much says it all, doesn't it?
Saturday, we spent the evening with our friends F & E, and for the very first time, I found myself able to really talk. Except for those instances I was really stuck and Steph jumped in to help, I pretty much carried my own. Sure, there were moments of silence while I struggled to find the right word or correct grammar, but F and E were both super indulgent and patient while I tried to find a way to be understood.
So what did we talk about? Well, ME, of course!! No, nothing so egotistical as that, but for the first time, I was able to talk about, in my own words, what I did for a living before I moved here, my struggle to find gainful employment in France, where I've been in France and what I'd like to visit in the future, where my family comes from (this sparked a very interesting conversation about where all our ancestors are from) and what Steph and I are thinking and dreaming about the future.
It felt so amazing to be a part of the conversation instead of a witness to it. I'm finding myself, ever so slowly, gaining confidence to jump into a conversation and make myself heard. I also think that for the first time, these wonderful friends of Steph's that I've known for nearly three years now are starting to get a sense of who I am as a person, as opposed to Steph's American wife who barely speaks French.
It's painfully slow, this adjusting to a life in a new country, but the awards are astounding. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting there.
And hey, don't forget to join me over here!
Saturday, we spent the evening with our friends F & E, and for the very first time, I found myself able to really talk. Except for those instances I was really stuck and Steph jumped in to help, I pretty much carried my own. Sure, there were moments of silence while I struggled to find the right word or correct grammar, but F and E were both super indulgent and patient while I tried to find a way to be understood.
So what did we talk about? Well, ME, of course!! No, nothing so egotistical as that, but for the first time, I was able to talk about, in my own words, what I did for a living before I moved here, my struggle to find gainful employment in France, where I've been in France and what I'd like to visit in the future, where my family comes from (this sparked a very interesting conversation about where all our ancestors are from) and what Steph and I are thinking and dreaming about the future.
It felt so amazing to be a part of the conversation instead of a witness to it. I'm finding myself, ever so slowly, gaining confidence to jump into a conversation and make myself heard. I also think that for the first time, these wonderful friends of Steph's that I've known for nearly three years now are starting to get a sense of who I am as a person, as opposed to Steph's American wife who barely speaks French.
It's painfully slow, this adjusting to a life in a new country, but the awards are astounding. I'm not quite there yet, but I'm getting there.
And hey, don't forget to join me over here!
Sunday, December 17, 2006
Saturday, December 16, 2006
panic downgraded
I just colored my hair. In an attempt to find a color closer to my favorite color ever - which isn't being made anymore - I went for something a little bolder on the red scale.
When I got out of the shower and looked at the damage, I freaked. It wasn't even Ronald McDonald red. It was RADIOACTIVE. I took a couple of pictures so I could show you how far over the edge I'd gone and then realized that with the flash (it's much too gloomy outside to get a picture with natural light) it didn't look half bad.
So, meh. It will calm down in a week or so. I'm definitely going to need to put on a little makeup though, or else I will be looking a little scary. Considering the fact that one can see women sporting crayola red and bright fuschia colored hair around here, I don't think it's going to stick out that much.
Other than the hair-scare, things are going ok. I'm making progress on the guide, slowly but surely. We're going to hang out with some friends tonight, and in an attempt to shake myself out of my little personal rut, I have actually donned a skirt and some black wooly tights (it is the middle of December, after all) for the occasion. Too bad I don't really have shoes to go with a skirt and black wooly tights, but I suppose I'll be able to make do.
Update: nope, it still looks like clown hair. Guess I'm just gonna have to work it! Scary picture forthcoming...
Click here for clown hair goodness.
When I got out of the shower and looked at the damage, I freaked. It wasn't even Ronald McDonald red. It was RADIOACTIVE. I took a couple of pictures so I could show you how far over the edge I'd gone and then realized that with the flash (it's much too gloomy outside to get a picture with natural light) it didn't look half bad.
So, meh. It will calm down in a week or so. I'm definitely going to need to put on a little makeup though, or else I will be looking a little scary. Considering the fact that one can see women sporting crayola red and bright fuschia colored hair around here, I don't think it's going to stick out that much.
Other than the hair-scare, things are going ok. I'm making progress on the guide, slowly but surely. We're going to hang out with some friends tonight, and in an attempt to shake myself out of my little personal rut, I have actually donned a skirt and some black wooly tights (it is the middle of December, after all) for the occasion. Too bad I don't really have shoes to go with a skirt and black wooly tights, but I suppose I'll be able to make do.
Update: nope, it still looks like clown hair. Guess I'm just gonna have to work it! Scary picture forthcoming...
Click here for clown hair goodness.
Friday, December 15, 2006
hurry!
Alex lives on a tropical island. This year for Christmas, she's doing a drawing for a big ole box of goodies from her tropical island. I would sign up, but when she did this two years ago from Japan, I won! And lemme tell you something, it wasn't like, a postcard and some chopsticks; the girl went past generous and went straight to lavish. Seriously.
So what are you waiting for? All you have to do is leave a message on her Woot! Woot! It's Christmas Time! post and you'll be registered for the drawing! Go! Now!
So what are you waiting for? All you have to do is leave a message on her Woot! Woot! It's Christmas Time! post and you'll be registered for the drawing! Go! Now!
Thursday, December 14, 2006
and now for something completely different
Last week, my aunt and uncle saw their first Shuttle launch up close and personal in Florida. My uncle happened to make a movie of it, and since shuttle launches are such a huge part of my memories of growing up in Titusville, right across the river from the launch pads, I asked them if they'd mind me posting the video here so I can share it with you.
The woman you hear on the video is seeing her first launch as well, and her excitement is clear. It may seem silly to yell "Go baby!" at a huge rocket hurtling itself into space, but even the most cynical observers can't help but get caught up in the excitement. I saw dozens of these launches growing up, and even in my most aloof teenage years, there was a part of my yelling "Go baby!" at the shuttle, at least on the inside.
This may be because I saw the Challenger blow up before my eyes on my way to math class in seventh grade.
Here is your shuttle goodness!
My top three memories of the shuttle:
1. Walking home from the school bus stop and looking up to see the shuttle riding "piggy-back" on a 747 on its way back to Kennedy Space Center. This was back before the shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center - it landed in California and hitched a ride home. I must have been seven or eight years old at the time.
2. When the shuttle reenters the Earth's orbit, it breaks the sound barrier, resulting in a sonic boom, which sounds like a rifle report. During one the early shuttle landings in Florida, when a shuttle landing was big enough news to interrupt afternoon programming, I stood in my living room (ready to run outside to see the shuttle, of course!) while the tv ran live feeds from Orlando and the Space Center. Because the sonic booms takes a little while to travel, I heard it three times: first in Orlando via the tv, then from over my house and finally at the Space Center on tv!
3. By the time I was in high school, night launches were so old hat that I would wake up in the middle of the night to windows rattling and the sound of a freight train going through the house, and my reaction was "meh, shuttle launch" and I went right back to sleep!
OK, geek time is over, back to work!
The woman you hear on the video is seeing her first launch as well, and her excitement is clear. It may seem silly to yell "Go baby!" at a huge rocket hurtling itself into space, but even the most cynical observers can't help but get caught up in the excitement. I saw dozens of these launches growing up, and even in my most aloof teenage years, there was a part of my yelling "Go baby!" at the shuttle, at least on the inside.
This may be because I saw the Challenger blow up before my eyes on my way to math class in seventh grade.
Here is your shuttle goodness!
My top three memories of the shuttle:
1. Walking home from the school bus stop and looking up to see the shuttle riding "piggy-back" on a 747 on its way back to Kennedy Space Center. This was back before the shuttle landed at Kennedy Space Center - it landed in California and hitched a ride home. I must have been seven or eight years old at the time.
2. When the shuttle reenters the Earth's orbit, it breaks the sound barrier, resulting in a sonic boom, which sounds like a rifle report. During one the early shuttle landings in Florida, when a shuttle landing was big enough news to interrupt afternoon programming, I stood in my living room (ready to run outside to see the shuttle, of course!) while the tv ran live feeds from Orlando and the Space Center. Because the sonic booms takes a little while to travel, I heard it three times: first in Orlando via the tv, then from over my house and finally at the Space Center on tv!
3. By the time I was in high school, night launches were so old hat that I would wake up in the middle of the night to windows rattling and the sound of a freight train going through the house, and my reaction was "meh, shuttle launch" and I went right back to sleep!
OK, geek time is over, back to work!
Tuesday, December 12, 2006
today's the big day!
Oh my god, I think I'm going to throw up.
Update: Well, that pretty much sucked. Not that I got anyone denying me permission to put them in the guide, but I am still struggling to make myself understood and that's damn tiring. Not to mention frustrating beyond belief. I also confirmed my suspicions that I'm not meant to be a door to door salesperson. Well, make that sales full stop. I have always despised cold calling and I don't even like talking on the phone with people I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking, taking this on. I'll just be happy and relieved when it's over.
Of course, on the way home, I realized that this opened a whole new can of worms for me. Is this what I'm supposed to be doing? Just grabbing whatever questionable job that seems halfway doable? I can see a miserable life stretching out before me, full of positions of glorified babysitting (my first job here) or as unwilling English tutor.
So what the hell am I supposed to be? That, my friends, is the $25,000,000 question.
If you have the answer, please write it on a 3 x 5 card and mail to:
Vivi
Bottomless Pit of Despair
Middle of Nowhere,
France.
This negative post was brought to you in part by: the letters OMGWTF?!
Update: Well, that pretty much sucked. Not that I got anyone denying me permission to put them in the guide, but I am still struggling to make myself understood and that's damn tiring. Not to mention frustrating beyond belief. I also confirmed my suspicions that I'm not meant to be a door to door salesperson. Well, make that sales full stop. I have always despised cold calling and I don't even like talking on the phone with people I don't know. I don't know what I was thinking, taking this on. I'll just be happy and relieved when it's over.
Of course, on the way home, I realized that this opened a whole new can of worms for me. Is this what I'm supposed to be doing? Just grabbing whatever questionable job that seems halfway doable? I can see a miserable life stretching out before me, full of positions of glorified babysitting (my first job here) or as unwilling English tutor.
So what the hell am I supposed to be? That, my friends, is the $25,000,000 question.
If you have the answer, please write it on a 3 x 5 card and mail to:
Vivi
Bottomless Pit of Despair
Middle of Nowhere,
France.
This negative post was brought to you in part by: the letters OMGWTF?!
Monday, December 11, 2006
the only thing that stays the same is change
Yep, I've changed my tactics again. We went to the in-laws' yesterday afternoon for coffee because half of the family were going to be there and since we don't get to see everyone very often, we thought it'd be a good idea to go. After talking about the new job, everyone seemed to agree that I'd get a much more positive response if I went to businesses in person, so I'm going to follow their advice. Who knows the French better than the French, right? Plus my sister-in-law is going to do a little networking for me too. I'll take all the help I can get.
So I've spent most of the day preparing lists of places to go tomorrow and entering contacts with email addresses and emailing requests for confirmation. I've already got one confirmation back, so at least I know the email system works. I'll be glad when I've gotten tomorrow over with - I'm more nervous about talking to all these businesses than anything else.
Anyway, I just got back from walking to the grocery to pick up a few things. Man, has the temperature dropped! At least it feels more like December now, that's a big change from just a few days ago. I've changed into my comfy clothes, I've got a big mug of tea next to me, and now it's back to work (wheeeee!).
So I've spent most of the day preparing lists of places to go tomorrow and entering contacts with email addresses and emailing requests for confirmation. I've already got one confirmation back, so at least I know the email system works. I'll be glad when I've gotten tomorrow over with - I'm more nervous about talking to all these businesses than anything else.
Anyway, I just got back from walking to the grocery to pick up a few things. Man, has the temperature dropped! At least it feels more like December now, that's a big change from just a few days ago. I've changed into my comfy clothes, I've got a big mug of tea next to me, and now it's back to work (wheeeee!).
Saturday, December 09, 2006
thinking outloud
I was going to sit down and write a post about the details of my new job but then I realized that I would be cutting my nose to spite my face. I can tell you this, though:
True to form, I spent the first two days losing sleep over the best way to do this job. I've changed my game plan at least three times and I keep bugging Steph with stuff like, "Does it make sense if I say this?" and "Does that mean what I think it means?" and generally being a neurotic pain in the toosh. That being said, I have come to a couple of conclusions.
I was originally going to spend a lot of time going to Troyes and talking to contacts in person, and then I realized that in the time it takes to drive to Troyes, I could talk to about ten contacts by telephone. I'll still take my info when we go to Troyes for something else, but making a special trip seems a waste of time. I think I've also finally come up with what I'm going to say to contacts and I've boned up on some vocabulary issues.
So, I've got a couple of craft projects I need to give my attenion to this weekend (Christmas is still only three weeks away whether I'm working or not) so the telephone assault will begin Monday. And I do mean assault - I want to get as much as the phone stuff out of the way as quick as I can, so I can get to the fun stuff - writing!
The funny thing is that I've suddenly got this surge of confidence in speaking French and I haven't even talked to a contact yet. The phone rang late Thursday afternoon and I was going to let it ring but then I thought "hey, if this is going to be my job I'd better get used to it" so I picked it up. Wouldn't you know that it is our bank wanting to make another appointment with Bank Dude? I said, "Again?! We just saw him last week." She was surprised and said she'd pass that along to Bank Dude. I mean, honestly.
Then I had to go back to the post office and found the one nice person in the whole building. I couldn't even believe it. Not only was she nice, she was patient as I explained that I probably had the wrong documents for sending a registered letter because I'd misunderstood the (not exactly nice but not mean either) woman who gave me the documents the day before. She was fantabulous and I hope she's not just a temporary replacement for someone. I want to bring her cookies, she was so nice.
Anyway, that's what's been rolling around my brain the last couple of days. Oh - and the great news is that Steph's colleague took only about an hour to work on the computer and everything seems to be fine. He took a hard drive and a graphic card out of the old computer and put them in mine, so I'm working with a Mighty Powerful Machine now, yes indeed. Only I moved as much of my documents as I could onto one of the new drives (it was partitioned) and left the games on the old hard drive, but I seem to have moved something I shouldn't have, as my desktop noises have disappeared. Something else to goof around with when I have time. So, that's my weekend set - hope you all have a great weekend!
True to form, I spent the first two days losing sleep over the best way to do this job. I've changed my game plan at least three times and I keep bugging Steph with stuff like, "Does it make sense if I say this?" and "Does that mean what I think it means?" and generally being a neurotic pain in the toosh. That being said, I have come to a couple of conclusions.
I was originally going to spend a lot of time going to Troyes and talking to contacts in person, and then I realized that in the time it takes to drive to Troyes, I could talk to about ten contacts by telephone. I'll still take my info when we go to Troyes for something else, but making a special trip seems a waste of time. I think I've also finally come up with what I'm going to say to contacts and I've boned up on some vocabulary issues.
So, I've got a couple of craft projects I need to give my attenion to this weekend (Christmas is still only three weeks away whether I'm working or not) so the telephone assault will begin Monday. And I do mean assault - I want to get as much as the phone stuff out of the way as quick as I can, so I can get to the fun stuff - writing!
The funny thing is that I've suddenly got this surge of confidence in speaking French and I haven't even talked to a contact yet. The phone rang late Thursday afternoon and I was going to let it ring but then I thought "hey, if this is going to be my job I'd better get used to it" so I picked it up. Wouldn't you know that it is our bank wanting to make another appointment with Bank Dude? I said, "Again?! We just saw him last week." She was surprised and said she'd pass that along to Bank Dude. I mean, honestly.
Then I had to go back to the post office and found the one nice person in the whole building. I couldn't even believe it. Not only was she nice, she was patient as I explained that I probably had the wrong documents for sending a registered letter because I'd misunderstood the (not exactly nice but not mean either) woman who gave me the documents the day before. She was fantabulous and I hope she's not just a temporary replacement for someone. I want to bring her cookies, she was so nice.
Anyway, that's what's been rolling around my brain the last couple of days. Oh - and the great news is that Steph's colleague took only about an hour to work on the computer and everything seems to be fine. He took a hard drive and a graphic card out of the old computer and put them in mine, so I'm working with a Mighty Powerful Machine now, yes indeed. Only I moved as much of my documents as I could onto one of the new drives (it was partitioned) and left the games on the old hard drive, but I seem to have moved something I shouldn't have, as my desktop noises have disappeared. Something else to goof around with when I have time. So, that's my weekend set - hope you all have a great weekend!
Thursday, December 07, 2006
ca commence mal
This morning I got up with Steph, as I usually do, and sat down at the computer with coffee and cereal close by. After my usual tour around the blogosphere, I got down to work for the guide. My plan for today is to research really simple contacts, such as national emergency numbers and financial contacts with call centers in the UK (in other words, no need to freak out about speaking in French just yet), so I can get a handle on the company's data entry system. This is the life, I thought, working at the computer in my pajamas with headphones on in my own personal call center set up. At 10:30 I took a break to take a shower, and then it all went haywire.
Steph came flying in from work, which isn't necessarily cause for alarm since his morning classes on Thursdays end at 10:00, but he usually spends the following hours working at school until he comes home for lunch. Just having him here threw me off pace, and then he (loudly) set down to work on some paperwork in the office and needed my help.
That's because my other less-known and poorly paying (read: fo' free!) job is as Steph's secretary because not only does he have a huge thesis to write, he also has to pretty much document every time he sneezes, in addition to his usual work (teachers, I'm sure you can understand all this). So I reluctantly set my own work aside to help him, and then because this extra work put me off schedule, I raced downstairs to make lunch so Steph could get back to work on time.
Plus, in a case of worst possible timing, a colleague of Steph's is coming over this evening to do some work on my computer. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally grateful that he's coming on his own time to help us out, but if something goes wrong, I am pretty much screwed six ways from Sunday.
And to top it all off, I've got to take some papers to the post office (my favorite place, they love me there /sarcasm) and it's coming down cats and dogs with the extra added bonus of wind blowing sideways.
So to make a long story longer, I've got to get this house in presentable shape, run an errand I really don't want to do, try to set up a new email address in Outlook and then, if I have time, try to complete to goal I set out for myself way back when life seemed good (approximately four hours ago) before I have to relinquish control of my computer.
Damn, damn, damn.
To be fair, this job sort of landed in my lap, and I'm glad to have it, but I should have took a better look at my calendar (can you believe I actually have things to put in my events calendar?) before signing on. On the other hand, I'd rather be busy busy busy than bored to tears and staring at the wall (my previous condition). Life has suddenly shifted into overdrive and I suppose the best thing to do is hang on as best I can and try to enjoy the ride!
Steph came flying in from work, which isn't necessarily cause for alarm since his morning classes on Thursdays end at 10:00, but he usually spends the following hours working at school until he comes home for lunch. Just having him here threw me off pace, and then he (loudly) set down to work on some paperwork in the office and needed my help.
That's because my other less-known and poorly paying (read: fo' free!) job is as Steph's secretary because not only does he have a huge thesis to write, he also has to pretty much document every time he sneezes, in addition to his usual work (teachers, I'm sure you can understand all this). So I reluctantly set my own work aside to help him, and then because this extra work put me off schedule, I raced downstairs to make lunch so Steph could get back to work on time.
Plus, in a case of worst possible timing, a colleague of Steph's is coming over this evening to do some work on my computer. Don't get me wrong, I'm totally grateful that he's coming on his own time to help us out, but if something goes wrong, I am pretty much screwed six ways from Sunday.
And to top it all off, I've got to take some papers to the post office (my favorite place, they love me there /sarcasm) and it's coming down cats and dogs with the extra added bonus of wind blowing sideways.
So to make a long story longer, I've got to get this house in presentable shape, run an errand I really don't want to do, try to set up a new email address in Outlook and then, if I have time, try to complete to goal I set out for myself way back when life seemed good (approximately four hours ago) before I have to relinquish control of my computer.
Damn, damn, damn.
To be fair, this job sort of landed in my lap, and I'm glad to have it, but I should have took a better look at my calendar (can you believe I actually have things to put in my events calendar?) before signing on. On the other hand, I'd rather be busy busy busy than bored to tears and staring at the wall (my previous condition). Life has suddenly shifted into overdrive and I suppose the best thing to do is hang on as best I can and try to enjoy the ride!
Wednesday, December 06, 2006
vivi gets a job
And it only took two years!
Well, this isn't your traditional job, nor is it anything permanent, but it should prove to be interesting. I'll be compiling a rather lengthy list of contacts to be included in an English speakers guide to Troyes and I have one month to do it. This means that I'll be spending a lot of time on the phone or marching down the streets of Troyes to verify all sorts of information. The interesting thing about this guide is that it concentrates more on emergency contacts than touristy things to see. In any case, I'll have to really suck it up and get over my huge aversion to speaking French, both in person and on the phone and I need to do it quick, because even though they suggest that the list can be finished by spending around two hours a day verifying contacts, I'm worried that I won't be able to make the deadline.
So there you go. I'm both terrified and excited, and if nothing else, I'll be forced to practice my French, whether I'm ready or not!
I have to send out an enormous THANK YOU to Sam de Bretagne for posting the info about this job on her blog this morning. Sam has already done a guide for Rennes and will be my editor for this one (expect a barrage of emails starting tomorrow, Sam!).
Well, this isn't your traditional job, nor is it anything permanent, but it should prove to be interesting. I'll be compiling a rather lengthy list of contacts to be included in an English speakers guide to Troyes and I have one month to do it. This means that I'll be spending a lot of time on the phone or marching down the streets of Troyes to verify all sorts of information. The interesting thing about this guide is that it concentrates more on emergency contacts than touristy things to see. In any case, I'll have to really suck it up and get over my huge aversion to speaking French, both in person and on the phone and I need to do it quick, because even though they suggest that the list can be finished by spending around two hours a day verifying contacts, I'm worried that I won't be able to make the deadline.
So there you go. I'm both terrified and excited, and if nothing else, I'll be forced to practice my French, whether I'm ready or not!
I have to send out an enormous THANK YOU to Sam de Bretagne for posting the info about this job on her blog this morning. Sam has already done a guide for Rennes and will be my editor for this one (expect a barrage of emails starting tomorrow, Sam!).
my new obsession
Hoo-boy, I got it bad, too. Sunday I signed up for Second Life and I've barely come up for air since. Second life is a complete 3-D world that has been created by its inhabitants. It's an ever increasing and changing world, filled with everything from nightclubs to educational courses. Steph keeps looking over at my monitor and saying "But what can you do?" and I keep responding "anything you want!" Of course, first you have to learn how to do everything and I'm still in the first flush of exploring and figuring out how all this stuff works. I should also mention that it's free to download and free to play, but some premium services are reserved for those who do pay a monthly fee (and it's priced very competitively with other online MMORPGs). Anyway, if there are any other SLers out there, send me an IM sometime, my name in-game is Vivi Alexandre (you have to choose your last name from an existing list).
In other news, has Vivi finally found a job? Stay tuned for exciting updates!
Dang, I had a bunch of other stuff I wanted to include in this post, and this job opportunity just popped up this morning so my brain is (understandably) otherwise occupied... oh, I remember one!
You may have noticed a new button in my side bar - my Amazon wish list. Please, before you think that my greed knows no bounds, I just wanted to say that I've put it there for my family who sometimes swing by to see what I'm up to, in case they'd like to give a Christmas gift to their relative that up and ran away to Europe. I also want to ask my relatives and friends to drop me an email and let me know if they have wish lists I should know about!
OK, that's it for now, if I remember something else I'll add an update. Happy Wednesday in any case!
OH, here's another important one: Very happy birthday wishes to my home skillet Epiphany! May your birthday be truly glorious!
In other news, has Vivi finally found a job? Stay tuned for exciting updates!
Dang, I had a bunch of other stuff I wanted to include in this post, and this job opportunity just popped up this morning so my brain is (understandably) otherwise occupied... oh, I remember one!
You may have noticed a new button in my side bar - my Amazon wish list. Please, before you think that my greed knows no bounds, I just wanted to say that I've put it there for my family who sometimes swing by to see what I'm up to, in case they'd like to give a Christmas gift to their relative that up and ran away to Europe. I also want to ask my relatives and friends to drop me an email and let me know if they have wish lists I should know about!
OK, that's it for now, if I remember something else I'll add an update. Happy Wednesday in any case!
OH, here's another important one: Very happy birthday wishes to my home skillet Epiphany! May your birthday be truly glorious!
Monday, December 04, 2006
Apothicairerie de l'Hôtel Dieu le Comte
Sunday started off beautiful with warmer temps and a sunny blue sky. Unfortunately, by the time we got my in-laws' for lunch, the blue skies were nearly obscured by dark grey clouds accompanied by strong gusts of wind with rain not far behind. Despite the change in weather, we decided to press on with our afternoon activity, visiting the Apothicairerie de l'Hôtel Dieu le Comte in Troyes.
This tiny museum is comprised of two rooms; the first is a gorgeous apothercary in the same state that it would have been in the beginning of the 18th century, and the second smaller room, which was the laboratory, which contains some displays of apothecary instruments as well as some religious items that come from the chapel of the Hôtel Dieu.
While the laboratory holds a few interesting items, the real beauty of this museum is the apothecary. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with over three hundred painted wooden medicine boxes and hundreds more ceramic containers, many of which still have their contents' names painted in Latin. A wooden staircase with bronze wheels rests against a wall, and would have given the apothecary access to the highest shelves, while an opened corner door reveals hundreds of pewter pieces.
This museum is among the finest of its kind in France and shouldn't be missed, but be warned that it will only take a half hour of your time. The Hôtel Dieu also contains another musuem, which is interactive for children, but it is also in easy walking distance to the center of Troyes in one direction and the cathedral in the other, so it would be an excellent break on a walking tour.
The entrance fee is usually five euros, but because we visited on the first Sunday of the month, the fees in most museums in France are waived. Photographs are allowed but without flash (which is why my pictures came out a bit dark; can't ask for much better with my little point and shooter!). You can see more pics of the museum by clicking on the photo.
This tiny museum is comprised of two rooms; the first is a gorgeous apothercary in the same state that it would have been in the beginning of the 18th century, and the second smaller room, which was the laboratory, which contains some displays of apothecary instruments as well as some religious items that come from the chapel of the Hôtel Dieu.
While the laboratory holds a few interesting items, the real beauty of this museum is the apothecary. The walls are covered from floor to ceiling with over three hundred painted wooden medicine boxes and hundreds more ceramic containers, many of which still have their contents' names painted in Latin. A wooden staircase with bronze wheels rests against a wall, and would have given the apothecary access to the highest shelves, while an opened corner door reveals hundreds of pewter pieces.
This museum is among the finest of its kind in France and shouldn't be missed, but be warned that it will only take a half hour of your time. The Hôtel Dieu also contains another musuem, which is interactive for children, but it is also in easy walking distance to the center of Troyes in one direction and the cathedral in the other, so it would be an excellent break on a walking tour.
The entrance fee is usually five euros, but because we visited on the first Sunday of the month, the fees in most museums in France are waived. Photographs are allowed but without flash (which is why my pictures came out a bit dark; can't ask for much better with my little point and shooter!). You can see more pics of the museum by clicking on the photo.
Saturday, December 02, 2006
audio meme!
I am participating in an audio meme which was started by Lesley at Peregrinations. Thank you so much, Lesley, for tagging me with this, I really enjoyed doing something different for a change!
If you're interested in participating, just upload your own audio, answering the three questions in the audio portion, and be sure to let us know so we can come find you!
powered by ODEO
So there I am in all my Southern Belle glory. Hope it's not to hard on your ears!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
If you're interested in participating, just upload your own audio, answering the three questions in the audio portion, and be sure to let us know so we can come find you!
powered by ODEO
So there I am in all my Southern Belle glory. Hope it's not to hard on your ears!
Have a great weekend, everyone!
Friday, December 01, 2006
jambier!!
One of our friends lives across the street from a bar we used to go to when we lived in Troyes. Everytime we went to the bar as a group, everyone (except me, obviously, because I had no idea what was going on) would pound on Friend's windows and yell out "Jambier!!" at the top of their lungs. Everybody had a big laugh over this happening every single time we passed this guy's house, and whenever I asked for an explanation, all I heard was, "Oh, it's from an old movie, I can't explain it, you've just got to see it." Pfft.Finally, two years later, we came across the famous movie at Fnac (Fnac Fnac!) bundled with two other movies for the low, low price of 15 euros, so we bought it and settled down the other night to watch La Traversée de Paris.
Unfortunately, for the low, low price of 15 euros, you don't get subtitles in English or otherwise*, but I was basically able to follow the story of taxi driver-turned-black market operative and the painter he enlists to help him carry four suitcases of meat across wartime Paris. As far as films go, it's not the best French movie I've seen, but it certainly wasn't the worst either. I think it does a good job of expressing the fear, the frustration and the inventiveness the Parisians experienced during the war (which I'm sure was still fresh in the filmmakers' minds since this was made only ten years after the war) and there are a few poignant moments as well as a few laughs to be had. I would certainly recommend it, provided you're fluent in French or subtitles are available. (Tangent: it must be a hallmark of films made in this era, because when I think of American films from this time, there are plenty of fast-talking actors who spit lines out of the sides of their mouths that would be impossible to follow if you're not fluent in English - hell, there are some that I can't even follow!)
So why is crying "Jambier!!" outside of innocent peoples' homes so funny? I'm afraid I have to tell you the same thing that was told to me - you'll have to watch the movie!
*I actually can follow a movie with French subtitles. In fact, we often watch a French tv show called Maigret which comes on about every other Friday evening. This one's a mystery show set in the '50s and based on the books of Georges Simenon. Thanks to closed captioning for the hearing impared, I know exactly what's going on!
PS In the interest of full disclosure, I should say that I thought they were yelling "Janvier," which is French for January, and it wasn't until I saw the listing on IMDB that I figured out my mistake.
PPS This doesn't have anything to do with anything, but I really got a kick out of listening to Katia and KylieMac's Thanksgiving podcast yesterday. Thanks for the shout out ladies; I was thinking of you, too! Have you listened to the podcast yet? Make sure you check it out here!
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
more adventures with Bank Dude
Before I came home from the States, Steph received a call from our bank representative who wanted to make an appointment us. Apparently, bank representatives do this periodically, say once a year or so, to let their clients know of new offers that are available or at least to get some face time. That appointment was today, and since we had several other errands to run in Troyes, we decided to make a day of it.
By the way, if you don't remember our previous run-in with the man I call Bank Dude, you may want to read this first.
So, we arrived to the bank a few minutes late, but considering how Bank Dude has treated us in the past, I don't think either one of us were worried about it. In fact, it turned out to be a good thing, because no sooner had we found ourselves in the waiting area, he was ushering us into his cubicle. I couldn't help but chuckle thinking about every time in the past we've arrived on time and we had to wait ten to fifteen minutes.
Things did not get off to a good start, as the first thing he said when we sat down was, "So, why are you here today?" Steph and I looked at each other in wonder before Steph reminded him that he had invited us to come. Ah, yes.
Basically what followed was thirty minutes on nonsense. Bank Dude kept going off on tangents and tried to sell us services that we don't need. While it's true that we are considering buying an apartment in the next year or so, some of the numbers Bank Dude were throwing around either didn't apply to us at all or didn't even add up (dangerous territory when your client is a math teacher, for crying out loud!). Finally, Steph was able to extricate us from Bank Dude's web by assuring him that we'd be back to talk numbers when we're reading to do something.
Man, I hope we can change bank representatives before that time comes...
Afterwards, we hit the Fnac (Fnac Fnac Fnac! just love that word!) and then ate lunch at a restaurant downtown that I hadn't been to before and we both had gratin savoyarde. This is a dish with potates and lardons (basically bacon) baked with creamy cheese on top, served with salad and bread. Delish! And perfect for this chilly, cloudy weather we've been experiencing as of late.
Another interesting stop was to our insurance office to inquire about putting me on the car insurance. I've been driving for well over a year now, but we figured we were protected as I would have "permission" from Steph to drive the car, in case something happened. It turns out we needn't have worried because with our insurance, I'm automatically included because we're married, and it doesn't cost us anything extra. It's still a good thing we went, however, as they still had him listed as "single." Oops.
After a quick stop to say hello to the in-laws, it was back home. Not much else to report; I'm still working on some bookbinding (I'll post pictures when I get them all finished) and I've pulled my huge cross stitch project out of retirement and I'm working on that slowly for a change of pace.
By the way, if you don't remember our previous run-in with the man I call Bank Dude, you may want to read this first.
So, we arrived to the bank a few minutes late, but considering how Bank Dude has treated us in the past, I don't think either one of us were worried about it. In fact, it turned out to be a good thing, because no sooner had we found ourselves in the waiting area, he was ushering us into his cubicle. I couldn't help but chuckle thinking about every time in the past we've arrived on time and we had to wait ten to fifteen minutes.
Things did not get off to a good start, as the first thing he said when we sat down was, "So, why are you here today?" Steph and I looked at each other in wonder before Steph reminded him that he had invited us to come. Ah, yes.
Basically what followed was thirty minutes on nonsense. Bank Dude kept going off on tangents and tried to sell us services that we don't need. While it's true that we are considering buying an apartment in the next year or so, some of the numbers Bank Dude were throwing around either didn't apply to us at all or didn't even add up (dangerous territory when your client is a math teacher, for crying out loud!). Finally, Steph was able to extricate us from Bank Dude's web by assuring him that we'd be back to talk numbers when we're reading to do something.
Man, I hope we can change bank representatives before that time comes...
Afterwards, we hit the Fnac (Fnac Fnac Fnac! just love that word!) and then ate lunch at a restaurant downtown that I hadn't been to before and we both had gratin savoyarde. This is a dish with potates and lardons (basically bacon) baked with creamy cheese on top, served with salad and bread. Delish! And perfect for this chilly, cloudy weather we've been experiencing as of late.
Another interesting stop was to our insurance office to inquire about putting me on the car insurance. I've been driving for well over a year now, but we figured we were protected as I would have "permission" from Steph to drive the car, in case something happened. It turns out we needn't have worried because with our insurance, I'm automatically included because we're married, and it doesn't cost us anything extra. It's still a good thing we went, however, as they still had him listed as "single." Oops.
After a quick stop to say hello to the in-laws, it was back home. Not much else to report; I'm still working on some bookbinding (I'll post pictures when I get them all finished) and I've pulled my huge cross stitch project out of retirement and I'm working on that slowly for a change of pace.
Monday, November 27, 2006
thanksgiving dinner
Saturday went without a hitch, except for the fact that seven people plus the oven running constantly for about two hours makes for a very warm place in our small apartment. Besides that, everyone was very complimentary (though they couldn't resist jabs like "Not bad for an American!" and these were taken in stride) and we hardly had any leftovers at all. By 2:00 in the morning, four bottles of wine and one bottle of Jack were gone (yes! they killed the Jack!) and a good time was had by all. They even gave us this gorgeous floral arrangement which I will try desperately not to kill in the next couple of weeks. We've been invited to join this group of friends for New Year's, which should be fun.
In case you're curious, dinner consisted of appetizers of olives, raw veggies and canapes with tatziki sauce and spinich dip; a main meal of roasted turkey breast, green beans with mushrooms and garlic, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce; and a dessert of pecan pie with vanilla ice cream.
I got a request on my last post (hi Antipo!) for the recipe of the day-before mashed potatoes. I adapted it from this recipe, and here's my version with French ingredients which will serve four:
4 large potatoes
85g or about 4 sqaures kiri cheese
about 3/4 large pot of creme fraiche
15g butter
onion powder, salt, pepper to taste
Peel and cube potatoes and boil about 15 minutes, or until they are tender but still firm.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and mash potatoes until smooth. Mix in all the other ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 175C. (The recipe calls for greasing a baking dish, but I didn't find it necessary.) If you find the potatoes to be dry, stir in a little more creme fraiche. Transfer potoates to the baking dish and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it is warmed through.
Voila! This was a huge hit. I made an enormous casserole dish of potatoes, and there was just a couple of spoonfuls left. Let me know if you try it out!
In case you're curious, dinner consisted of appetizers of olives, raw veggies and canapes with tatziki sauce and spinich dip; a main meal of roasted turkey breast, green beans with mushrooms and garlic, mashed potatoes, stuffing and cranberry sauce; and a dessert of pecan pie with vanilla ice cream.
I got a request on my last post (hi Antipo!) for the recipe of the day-before mashed potatoes. I adapted it from this recipe, and here's my version with French ingredients which will serve four:
4 large potatoes
85g or about 4 sqaures kiri cheese
about 3/4 large pot of creme fraiche
15g butter
onion powder, salt, pepper to taste
Peel and cube potatoes and boil about 15 minutes, or until they are tender but still firm.
Transfer to a mixing bowl and mash potatoes until smooth. Mix in all the other ingredients. Cover and refrigerate overnight.
Preheat oven to 175C. (The recipe calls for greasing a baking dish, but I didn't find it necessary.) If you find the potatoes to be dry, stir in a little more creme fraiche. Transfer potoates to the baking dish and cook in the oven for about 30 minutes or until it is warmed through.
Voila! This was a huge hit. I made an enormous casserole dish of potatoes, and there was just a couple of spoonfuls left. Let me know if you try it out!
Friday, November 24, 2006
vivi gets her butt in gear
Well, very nearly, anyway.
While all you Americans were munching on turkey and gravy yesterday, I was pushing my shopping cart around the great big grocery in Troyes. Actually, given the time differences, you were probably snoring away, since I was there around 1:00, so... ok, that's not important right now. Where was I?
Right. The big grocery. OH. Here's a tip: if you can manage it, always go grocery shopping at lunchtime. There's hardly anyone there! Seriously, I've been there just after lunchtime and it can get so crowded I couldn't even push my cart down the widest isle in the middle of the store. During lunchtime, I zip through there so fast I even have time for a café crème and a game of Rapido before the long drive home.
So anyway, since I know that my easy-bake oven will never be big enough to contain a whole turkey, I did the same thing I did two years ago, which is buy a ginormous turkey breast wrapped up tight with string. I'll just stuff a little garlic in it and slap some butter and herbs on top and call it a day. I also had to restock our whiskey supply. Whiskey is Steph's prefered alcoholic beverage (tho we're practically teetotalers and it probably takes him a year to finish a bottle, even with help) so I knew I'd have to have some for before-dinner drinks. Of course, left to my own devices, I came home with our good friend Jack. I thought I'd get a rise out of Steph for bringing home an American whiskey but all he wanted to know is how much it cost (18 euros for a fifth, if you're playing at home). Ah well, better luck next time.
Today I was a blur of motion! OK, not really. But I did get a few things done, including
While all you Americans were munching on turkey and gravy yesterday, I was pushing my shopping cart around the great big grocery in Troyes. Actually, given the time differences, you were probably snoring away, since I was there around 1:00, so... ok, that's not important right now. Where was I?
Right. The big grocery. OH. Here's a tip: if you can manage it, always go grocery shopping at lunchtime. There's hardly anyone there! Seriously, I've been there just after lunchtime and it can get so crowded I couldn't even push my cart down the widest isle in the middle of the store. During lunchtime, I zip through there so fast I even have time for a café crème and a game of Rapido before the long drive home.
So anyway, since I know that my easy-bake oven will never be big enough to contain a whole turkey, I did the same thing I did two years ago, which is buy a ginormous turkey breast wrapped up tight with string. I'll just stuff a little garlic in it and slap some butter and herbs on top and call it a day. I also had to restock our whiskey supply. Whiskey is Steph's prefered alcoholic beverage (tho we're practically teetotalers and it probably takes him a year to finish a bottle, even with help) so I knew I'd have to have some for before-dinner drinks. Of course, left to my own devices, I came home with our good friend Jack. I thought I'd get a rise out of Steph for bringing home an American whiskey but all he wanted to know is how much it cost (18 euros for a fifth, if you're playing at home). Ah well, better luck next time.
Today I was a blur of motion! OK, not really. But I did get a few things done, including
- finishing a new book (finally! back on track!)
- cleaned the bathroom (you know company's coming when...)
- vacuumed high traffic areas upstairs
- tidied up a bit downstairs
- made enough mashed potatoes to choke an elephant (these "day before potatoes" are so awesome, they taste like you just mashed them when you take them out of the oven!)
- made some spinach dip
- chopped up some veggies
- go to the grocery and pick up a couple of last minute things
- sweep and vacuum downstairs
- bake a pie
- prep as much as I can so I can be a gracious hostess instead of a kitchen slave
Thursday, November 23, 2006
happy turkey day!
We have been invited to not one, but two Thanksgiving celebrations this year, happening on Saturday of course, since today is just your regular old Thursday here in France. Sadly, I don't feel quite ready for traveling out in the world just yet, so we've declined both of them. Steph suggested inviting a couple of friends over on Saturday for a much more subdued Thanksgiving celebration, and I thought I could probably handle that, so I've been trying out a couple of side dish recipes. After all, what fun is Thanksgiving if you can't share the box of Stove Top you carried all the way across the ocean (they can each have a spoonfull)?
In any case, I can't wait to hear about our friends' gathering in Paris, which we so enjoyed last year, and I'm getting a kick out of reading Doc's blog as she single-handedly prepares a Thanksgiving feast for thirty. She's off her rocker, but that's why we love her.
Of course, the purpose of Thanksgiving (besides remembering our dear Pilgrim ancestors) is to give thanks for what we have. Although Thanksgiving is just the first stop on a holiday journey that will be an emotional roller coaster this year, I will always be thankful first and foremost for my wonderful family - not just those who will gather today, but those who have gone ahead. Today I'll be thinking about wonderful memories of Thanksgivings in the past while dreaming of Thanksgivings to come.
I wish all of you in the States a very happy Thanksgiving! So tell me, what are you thankful for this year?
In any case, I can't wait to hear about our friends' gathering in Paris, which we so enjoyed last year, and I'm getting a kick out of reading Doc's blog as she single-handedly prepares a Thanksgiving feast for thirty. She's off her rocker, but that's why we love her.
Of course, the purpose of Thanksgiving (besides remembering our dear Pilgrim ancestors) is to give thanks for what we have. Although Thanksgiving is just the first stop on a holiday journey that will be an emotional roller coaster this year, I will always be thankful first and foremost for my wonderful family - not just those who will gather today, but those who have gone ahead. Today I'll be thinking about wonderful memories of Thanksgivings in the past while dreaming of Thanksgivings to come.
I wish all of you in the States a very happy Thanksgiving! So tell me, what are you thankful for this year?
Wednesday, November 22, 2006
I've got the blues!
No, not that kind of blues, my cobalt blues, which I lugged across the ocean in a foolishly heavy carry-on bag so I could have them in my home once again. Sorry the picture is so dark; if I waited for a sunny day to take a photo, we'd have to wait until next year some time, I'm afraid. Anyway, I've always been fond of cobalt blue glass and started collecting pieces quite a long time ago. When it came time to pack up my belongings two years (and some change) ago, these were the pieces I thought were worth dragging across the Atlantic. Only problem is that I don't really have anywhere to put them right now. We're thinking of getting an entertainment center soon, so maybe a couple of them will end up there.
Yesterday I popped in the DVD player a new aerobics DVD I picked up in the States and had a nice little workout. Unfortunately, my quads are so sore today that I can barely get up and down the stairs. I must be doing something wrong, surely? Aren't squats meant to work out the back of the thighs? Anyway, I'm supposed to (according to the workout schedule that came with the DVD) workout six days with one day off, but if I'm meant to do an hour of squats (slight exaggeration) and then go up and down my stairs all day, they've got another think comin'. I'm going to try for every other day for now, until my body gets back in the swing of things.
I'll tell you what I miss, and that's actually going to an aerobics class. Most of the fun was being in the back row with my friend Dana snarking over the ever-perky aerobics instructors. They were perky, but they were actually quite fun and knowing I was going to meet my friend there went a long way in keeping me honest. Meanwhile, we howled in mock (and real) pain and joked around and kept a positive attitude about the whole thing. And that's the last time I was in anything close to being called "in shape."
Now that I think about it, I seem to have a history of snarking in the back row, as I remember taking an aerobics class in high school with Carrie, only then we were surly teenagers who had to fulfill a fitness requirement in high school and this seemed the easiest way to slag through it.
Yep, me and aeorbics go way back, and now I think Aerobics is getting back at me!
Yesterday I popped in the DVD player a new aerobics DVD I picked up in the States and had a nice little workout. Unfortunately, my quads are so sore today that I can barely get up and down the stairs. I must be doing something wrong, surely? Aren't squats meant to work out the back of the thighs? Anyway, I'm supposed to (according to the workout schedule that came with the DVD) workout six days with one day off, but if I'm meant to do an hour of squats (slight exaggeration) and then go up and down my stairs all day, they've got another think comin'. I'm going to try for every other day for now, until my body gets back in the swing of things.
I'll tell you what I miss, and that's actually going to an aerobics class. Most of the fun was being in the back row with my friend Dana snarking over the ever-perky aerobics instructors. They were perky, but they were actually quite fun and knowing I was going to meet my friend there went a long way in keeping me honest. Meanwhile, we howled in mock (and real) pain and joked around and kept a positive attitude about the whole thing. And that's the last time I was in anything close to being called "in shape."
Now that I think about it, I seem to have a history of snarking in the back row, as I remember taking an aerobics class in high school with Carrie, only then we were surly teenagers who had to fulfill a fitness requirement in high school and this seemed the easiest way to slag through it.
Yep, me and aeorbics go way back, and now I think Aerobics is getting back at me!
Monday, November 20, 2006
ups and downs
Last week I had a little taste of getting back to normal. Thanks to the fact that Steph was in the middle of his formation cycle, when he's gone all day during the week, I didnt have to race in the mornings to get a hot meal on the table at precisely 12:15, when he usually walks in the door for his 45 minute lunch break from school. Instead I was able to move a little leisurely and eat a small lunch when I wanted, while attacking mountains of laundry my husband thoughtfully left for me so I'd have something to do (le sigh). I also got most of my new belongings put away and ran a few errands around town with my big French basket in tow. I felt like I was getting my legs back and enjoyed my little trips to the grocery or to the Mairie and at one point I even illicited a smile from the lady at the poissonerie as I passed. My idyllic dream of living in the French countryside was slowly but surely coming back to me.
Then I got an email last night from some close friends of the family who had been next to unreachable the last month and a half, and because of the lack of contact, they wanted to know how Dad was doing. At first I put it off, deciding to reply in the morning. I walked away from the computer and found myself unable to stop thinking about the reply. I came back to the computer and opened up my email and walked away again. Finally, knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep until I put this behind me, I sat down at the computer and composed the hardest email in my life. I know I probably should have called, but the idea of actually telling the story again was too much. I hope they'll forgive me for telling them by email.
For two months after Mom died last year, my mind replayed the day that she died over and over again, like a cruel movie loop. I haven't had that experience too much since Dad died, but last night, after writing that email, I was back in that mindset. Our brains play cruel tricks on us sometimes. I guess it's just a part of that roller coaster I'm on right now.
This week I have some fun things to look forward to, plus I'll be diving back into my bookbinding, and then there's the usual grind of day-to-day living that we all have to look forward to. Here's hoping the roller coaster will be straightening itself soon, or at least give me a little more time between the loopty-loops.
Then I got an email last night from some close friends of the family who had been next to unreachable the last month and a half, and because of the lack of contact, they wanted to know how Dad was doing. At first I put it off, deciding to reply in the morning. I walked away from the computer and found myself unable to stop thinking about the reply. I came back to the computer and opened up my email and walked away again. Finally, knowing I wouldn't be able to sleep until I put this behind me, I sat down at the computer and composed the hardest email in my life. I know I probably should have called, but the idea of actually telling the story again was too much. I hope they'll forgive me for telling them by email.
For two months after Mom died last year, my mind replayed the day that she died over and over again, like a cruel movie loop. I haven't had that experience too much since Dad died, but last night, after writing that email, I was back in that mindset. Our brains play cruel tricks on us sometimes. I guess it's just a part of that roller coaster I'm on right now.
This week I have some fun things to look forward to, plus I'll be diving back into my bookbinding, and then there's the usual grind of day-to-day living that we all have to look forward to. Here's hoping the roller coaster will be straightening itself soon, or at least give me a little more time between the loopty-loops.
Friday, November 17, 2006
500
This post marks my 500th post on Dispatches From France. And to think, it only took a little over two years! To celebrate, I'm finally uploading a picture of me. Of course, I was pretty tiny at the time, but I basically look the same, with a bit more hair.
I began this blog as a way to keep my friends and family in the States updated about my life here in France, and here we are, two years and two months later, and I have friends all over the world in all walks of life. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you - those of you who have been with me since the beginning and those who have found me along the way - for your kindness, support and for continuing to come back and visit my little corner of the internet all this time. Merci beaucoup, mes amis!
Also, I think it's time to change This Old Template. The problem is that I know exactly what I want but have no illustrator skillz. Anyone know of an illustrator who would do a commission?
And, as always, clicking on the picture will take you to my flickr feed, where you'll find another interesting four generation photo from my family archives.
Thanks again, y'all are the best! Gros bisous à toute la monde!
I began this blog as a way to keep my friends and family in the States updated about my life here in France, and here we are, two years and two months later, and I have friends all over the world in all walks of life. I would like to take this opportunity to sincerely thank all of you - those of you who have been with me since the beginning and those who have found me along the way - for your kindness, support and for continuing to come back and visit my little corner of the internet all this time. Merci beaucoup, mes amis!
Also, I think it's time to change This Old Template. The problem is that I know exactly what I want but have no illustrator skillz. Anyone know of an illustrator who would do a commission?
And, as always, clicking on the picture will take you to my flickr feed, where you'll find another interesting four generation photo from my family archives.
Thanks again, y'all are the best! Gros bisous à toute la monde!
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
someone else's dream
For a week after he arrived in North Carolina, Steph joked that we would move into my father's house and I would work while he kept house, the inverse of our life in France. He joked about it so much that, as we slipped into a booth at our favorite lunchtime restaurant, I asked him how much was joking and how much was actual interest in moving to the States. So we began to mull over the idea of uprooting our lives.
At first I was skeptical. What about his parents, his brothers and sisters? What about his specialization course, which he finally was accepted into only this year, his career, the main reason we chose to live in France in the first place? And what about the grand irony that I would be moving home only after both my parents have passed away?
For the next two days, we researched immigrant visas and green cards, mulled over monthly expenses of owning a house this grand, spoke to family members who are retired teachers, even spoke with the personnel director of the county's school system. Slowly, my vision shifted. I could see a future for us, with both of us gainfully employed, in a house twice as large as we could ever own in France, on a piece of land large enough to hold two or three homes in France. Our children would attend schools just around the corner and would intimately know my family. I could achieve my former goal of being a high school drama teacher (which was practically guaranteed by the personnel director) while Steph could continue working in special education.
My vision was so clouded by this dream that I walked right into the brick wall of reality.
The truth is that the risks were just too great. If Steph ever leaves his position as a teacher here, he can never reclaim it. Sabbaticals are possible but it would be June before he got any approval for it, meaning he'd have to apply for a job in the States before he knew he could even take it. Even then we'd have only a year to make it work there before we'd have nothing at all. Although we're glad we did do the research as it may come in handy one day, we realized that now is not the right time.
I had a difficult time letting all this go, when everything in this dream was centered around this house. My father's house: the house he knew he'd buy the moment he walked in the door and declared, from a chair in the sun room, "I'm home." The house he longed for for ten years of apartment living with no land, cramped living quarters and half his possessions in storage. My father's house.
My father.
And with that, I realized that letting this dream go, letting this house go, meant letting go of my father. For moments that stretched into hours and then years, the idea was unbearable.
Truth be told, I'm still coming to terms with all this, which I suppose is normal, since he's only been gone for a month. I do have moments of clarity and peace, however, when I realize that that house wasn't my dream, and it never was; it was his. Slowly, my vision is refocusing on me and my dreams. With a little bit of time, I think my vision will be clear again.
At first I was skeptical. What about his parents, his brothers and sisters? What about his specialization course, which he finally was accepted into only this year, his career, the main reason we chose to live in France in the first place? And what about the grand irony that I would be moving home only after both my parents have passed away?
For the next two days, we researched immigrant visas and green cards, mulled over monthly expenses of owning a house this grand, spoke to family members who are retired teachers, even spoke with the personnel director of the county's school system. Slowly, my vision shifted. I could see a future for us, with both of us gainfully employed, in a house twice as large as we could ever own in France, on a piece of land large enough to hold two or three homes in France. Our children would attend schools just around the corner and would intimately know my family. I could achieve my former goal of being a high school drama teacher (which was practically guaranteed by the personnel director) while Steph could continue working in special education.
My vision was so clouded by this dream that I walked right into the brick wall of reality.
The truth is that the risks were just too great. If Steph ever leaves his position as a teacher here, he can never reclaim it. Sabbaticals are possible but it would be June before he got any approval for it, meaning he'd have to apply for a job in the States before he knew he could even take it. Even then we'd have only a year to make it work there before we'd have nothing at all. Although we're glad we did do the research as it may come in handy one day, we realized that now is not the right time.
I had a difficult time letting all this go, when everything in this dream was centered around this house. My father's house: the house he knew he'd buy the moment he walked in the door and declared, from a chair in the sun room, "I'm home." The house he longed for for ten years of apartment living with no land, cramped living quarters and half his possessions in storage. My father's house.
My father.
And with that, I realized that letting this dream go, letting this house go, meant letting go of my father. For moments that stretched into hours and then years, the idea was unbearable.
Truth be told, I'm still coming to terms with all this, which I suppose is normal, since he's only been gone for a month. I do have moments of clarity and peace, however, when I realize that that house wasn't my dream, and it never was; it was his. Slowly, my vision is refocusing on me and my dreams. With a little bit of time, I think my vision will be clear again.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
wake me up in 2007
Last night was a restless night thanks to Snorey McSnore actually invading my dreams, forcing my retreat to the guest bed. I'm feeling a bit more like myself today, except for some aches and pains and the shock of being back in France (ooh, cloudy skies that go on forever! ack, French lady runs me over in the veggie isle of the grocery!). Tuesday is absolutely the best day to go grocery shopping here, if you can help it (I feel an informative post about grocery shopping welling up) so I took advantage of having the car in my possession and hottailed it to Troyes to the big shopping center.
Meanwhile, I feel like someone has picked up my house and shaken it. The only thing to do is attack one corner at a time, while finding new crevices to stuff in all the things I brought back in my overweight suitcases. This afternoon I attacked the kitchen area and at least the dishes are clean and I can see the table.
Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and I have declined two invitations from dear friends here. I suddenly find myself extremely uncomfortable in groups of people and feel more at ease being around one or two friends at a time. The idea of talking about what I've been through the last month in real time is unbearable.
Speaking of unbearable, I don't know how I'm going to get through Christmas this year. Not only was it my mother's favorite holiday, it was the only time we had Dad here with us in France. The whole reason we invited him was so he would have a new place to celebrate without any associations of Mom attached. Now I need a new place. I swear if I had the money I'd send myself on a Christmas cruise. Do they even have those? It may even be worth the dysentery and other communicable diseases found on those floating petri dishes. What I'd really like to do is skip the whole thing and start over in January. Anybody know a doctor who can put me in a voluntary coma?
Meanwhile, I feel like someone has picked up my house and shaken it. The only thing to do is attack one corner at a time, while finding new crevices to stuff in all the things I brought back in my overweight suitcases. This afternoon I attacked the kitchen area and at least the dishes are clean and I can see the table.
Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching and I have declined two invitations from dear friends here. I suddenly find myself extremely uncomfortable in groups of people and feel more at ease being around one or two friends at a time. The idea of talking about what I've been through the last month in real time is unbearable.
Speaking of unbearable, I don't know how I'm going to get through Christmas this year. Not only was it my mother's favorite holiday, it was the only time we had Dad here with us in France. The whole reason we invited him was so he would have a new place to celebrate without any associations of Mom attached. Now I need a new place. I swear if I had the money I'd send myself on a Christmas cruise. Do they even have those? It may even be worth the dysentery and other communicable diseases found on those floating petri dishes. What I'd really like to do is skip the whole thing and start over in January. Anybody know a doctor who can put me in a voluntary coma?
Sunday, November 12, 2006
home
I'm home. All the flight stuff went just fine, and I only had to wait about twenty minutes for Steph to arrive at the airport to fetch me and my overweight luggage. Yesterday was Armistice Day, or Veterans Day, as the U.S. now calls it, and since it was a public holiday, all the groceries were closed, meaning it was another weekend of eating out. Since we packed up Dad's kitchen at the beginning, I've been eating out nearly a week straight. I can't wait to go to the grocery tomorrow and buy some real food.
Excuse me for whining a little, but I'm in quite a lot of pain from all the packing and dragging boxes and luggage and now unpacking. I'm torn between the need to rest my body and the need to put away all this crap I brought home with me. I'd gotten about half of it sorted before my back and legs simply refused to do any more. I've popped a couple of Tylenol PM and I'm going to sort it out in the morning, I suppose.
Some new photos have been posted to my flickr feed and the previously mentioned soul searching monster post is still forthcoming. For now I've got to sort out my mind, as well, and try to figure out if I dreamt the last month or not.
Excuse me for whining a little, but I'm in quite a lot of pain from all the packing and dragging boxes and luggage and now unpacking. I'm torn between the need to rest my body and the need to put away all this crap I brought home with me. I'd gotten about half of it sorted before my back and legs simply refused to do any more. I've popped a couple of Tylenol PM and I'm going to sort it out in the morning, I suppose.
Some new photos have been posted to my flickr feed and the previously mentioned soul searching monster post is still forthcoming. For now I've got to sort out my mind, as well, and try to figure out if I dreamt the last month or not.
Thursday, November 09, 2006
magic
Yesterday morning, I stepped outside to clear my head, and I saw
I am utterly exhausted, but I have one more full day of work ahead of me. I have had an enormous amount of help, and I can't imagine how I could have done this alone. Tomorrow I'll get on a plane and start the difficult process of letting this all sink in. I'll talk to you all again, from the other side of the ocean, a.k.a. home.
- a groundhog, who lives in a clump of trees in the neighbor's yard, scrounging for food
- no less than six squirrels, bounding across the grass
- a chipmunk scurrying from one bush to another
- a bird in a tree not ten feet from me, singing his heart out
I am utterly exhausted, but I have one more full day of work ahead of me. I have had an enormous amount of help, and I can't imagine how I could have done this alone. Tomorrow I'll get on a plane and start the difficult process of letting this all sink in. I'll talk to you all again, from the other side of the ocean, a.k.a. home.
Monday, November 06, 2006
busy bee
I have a monster post in me, but not the time to write it. It may have to wait until I get on the plane and don't have lists and lists of things to do, but I do intend to write it.
I have enlisted the help of my dear cousin Judy to help me get this house in order. Yesterday we "staged" (yes, someone has been watching too much HGTV) the den and it looks outstanding. This morning I'm running errands (shipping boxes, WalMart run, maybe a much-needed haircut) and then it will be back to the house for more. This work is heart-wrenching but necessary, and it may need time and distance before I can really process it.
The house is going to be on the market tomorrow (anybody wanna buy a house?) and then I have a couple of extra days to get everything in order before I go home. The plan is that if the house sells before January, I'll come back during the closing and help put everything in storage, and if it doesn't sell before January (when the Estate comes out of probate), I'll be back then to manage an Estate sale and clear out the house. So long story short, this ain't over, even when I get on that plane.
Right, I guess I'd better get to it then.
I have enlisted the help of my dear cousin Judy to help me get this house in order. Yesterday we "staged" (yes, someone has been watching too much HGTV) the den and it looks outstanding. This morning I'm running errands (shipping boxes, WalMart run, maybe a much-needed haircut) and then it will be back to the house for more. This work is heart-wrenching but necessary, and it may need time and distance before I can really process it.
The house is going to be on the market tomorrow (anybody wanna buy a house?) and then I have a couple of extra days to get everything in order before I go home. The plan is that if the house sells before January, I'll come back during the closing and help put everything in storage, and if it doesn't sell before January (when the Estate comes out of probate), I'll be back then to manage an Estate sale and clear out the house. So long story short, this ain't over, even when I get on that plane.
Right, I guess I'd better get to it then.
Saturday, November 04, 2006
one week
Everything finally hit me Thursday night, and I crashed as if running headlong into a brick wall. I'd been doing pretty well up until that point. My new current status is "not ok." But don't worry faithful readers, I will be again.
Plans have changed, and I'll be going home next weekend. I have a week to pack up the house, in case it is sold before we can have an estate sale in January. I'll be back either when the house sells or when the estate comes out of probate in January, whichever comes first. When I get home next week, I'll have piles of work to do as well.
What I really need is a week of nothing, so I can just shut down, and I don't know when I'm going to get it.
Plans have changed, and I'll be going home next weekend. I have a week to pack up the house, in case it is sold before we can have an estate sale in January. I'll be back either when the house sells or when the estate comes out of probate in January, whichever comes first. When I get home next week, I'll have piles of work to do as well.
What I really need is a week of nothing, so I can just shut down, and I don't know when I'm going to get it.
Wednesday, November 01, 2006
halloween fun
One of the good things about having Steph here with me at this time of year has been showing him all the fun that happens around Halloween. On Friday we drove down to Greenville, SC, to attend a Halloween party with some friends from my old dining-out group. We threw on some silly costumes and enjoyed some delicious Halloween-themed treats and beer from local breweries. Steph got to talk shop, as most of the attendees were fellow teachers (it really seems that the majority of my friends and family are teachers!). On Saturday, our hosts Sarah and Roy graciously drove us around Greenville and guided us through the new Reedy River Park, which was being renovated when I left and is now complete. The park and the suspension bridge are absolutely stunning. Then we drove by the new ballpark, which is also downtown, which is a gorgeous old-fashioned brick facility, with bricks taken from the very mills which once dominated the site. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend a stop at the Park, where you can see a gorgeous natural waterfall right in the middle of downtown.
On Monday, Steph carved his first jack o'lantern, which came out quite good, if I do say so myself. We also picked up a few bags of candy for trick-or-treaters, but not ever having spent time in this neighborhood, I had no idea if any kids would show up. We had a grand total of six kids last night, so now we've got a ginormous bowl of chocolates and tootsie roll pops tempting me everytime I walk through the living room. Those may have to go away before I put them out of their misery.
Meanwhile, small progress is being made in the house. Having Steph here has been extremely helpful, as having an "outside" eye helps me be realistic about what to do with some things. Hopefully we'll make good progress before he leaves on Friday. After he leaves, I may have to take refuge at my Grandmother's at night, as being here alone simply creeps me out.
In any case, photos are being dutifully taken, but you'll have to wait until I get home to download them all, which looks like it's going to be closer to Thanksgiving.
On Monday, Steph carved his first jack o'lantern, which came out quite good, if I do say so myself. We also picked up a few bags of candy for trick-or-treaters, but not ever having spent time in this neighborhood, I had no idea if any kids would show up. We had a grand total of six kids last night, so now we've got a ginormous bowl of chocolates and tootsie roll pops tempting me everytime I walk through the living room. Those may have to go away before I put them out of their misery.
Meanwhile, small progress is being made in the house. Having Steph here has been extremely helpful, as having an "outside" eye helps me be realistic about what to do with some things. Hopefully we'll make good progress before he leaves on Friday. After he leaves, I may have to take refuge at my Grandmother's at night, as being here alone simply creeps me out.
In any case, photos are being dutifully taken, but you'll have to wait until I get home to download them all, which looks like it's going to be closer to Thanksgiving.
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